Zia declines party offer to make her chief for life
Former Bangladesh Premier Khaleda Zia on Sunday declined her party's offer to make her its chief for life.
By PTI |
DHAKA: Former Bangladesh Premier Khaleda Zia on Sunday declined her party's offer to make her its chief for life.
"I feel deeply grateful for the proposal the standing committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party made in its latest meeting, to make me the party leader for life," Zia said in a statement released by the party.
However, the chairperson of BNP said she cannot accept the offer as it was against the party's constitution and the spirit of democracy, local media reported. The BNP's top leaders took the decision to this effect at a high-level meeting at the BNP central office last evening.
The move came two days after 63-year-old Zia, was released from a special jail set up inside the Parliament complex on bail as part of an apparent deal with the military-backed government in the emergency-ruled Bangladesh.
Zia was released on bail in four graft cases on Thursday while her rival and another former premier Sheikh Hasina was released in parole in June on health grounds and is presently undergoing treatment in the US.
Their release is seen as a welcome move in Bangladesh politics as analysts said it has cleared ways for participation of all major parties in the planned general election in the year-end.
"I feel deeply grateful for the proposal the standing committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party made in its latest meeting, to make me the party leader for life," Zia said in a statement released by the party.
However, the chairperson of BNP said she cannot accept the offer as it was against the party's constitution and the spirit of democracy, local media reported. The BNP's top leaders took the decision to this effect at a high-level meeting at the BNP central office last evening.
The move came two days after 63-year-old Zia, was released from a special jail set up inside the Parliament complex on bail as part of an apparent deal with the military-backed government in the emergency-ruled Bangladesh.
Zia was released on bail in four graft cases on Thursday while her rival and another former premier Sheikh Hasina was released in parole in June on health grounds and is presently undergoing treatment in the US.
Their release is seen as a welcome move in Bangladesh politics as analysts said it has cleared ways for participation of all major parties in the planned general election in the year-end.
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