BNP Chairperson and three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia, 73, has been languishing in jail in Dhaka since February, 2018, after she was sentenced to five-years imprisonment for corruption charges in the Zia Orphanage Trust case. Meanwhile, her son and acting party chairperson Tarique Rahman has been in self-imposed exile in London since 2008. Senior journalist and political commentator Afsan Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune: “BNP will not benefit by refusing to participate in parliament. Afsan further said the aging leadership of BNP failed to understand Awami League's youth centric political strategy. Since its inception four decades ago, BNP has formed government four times - once under the leadership of its founder Ziaur Rahman, and thrice under the leadership of his widow Khaleda Zia.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 09, 2019 18:00 UTC