‘Want to thank brave people who … ‘: Ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia’s first remarks after release from jail – Times of India

Former Bangladesh PM Khaledi Zia on Wednesday addressed the nation for the first time since her release from jail.
Zia expressed gratitude towards the protestors who were in a “do-or-die struggle” since June in a bid to voice their dissent against the preferential quota in government jobs.
“I have been released now. I want to thank the brave people who were in a do-or-die struggle to make possible the impossible,” she said in a video conference
“This victory brings us a new possibility to come back from the debris of plunder, corruption and ill-politics.We need to reform this country as a prosperous one,” she added as per Daily Star.

“Youths are our future. We need to build a democratic Bangladesh newly to fulfil their dream, and for which they shed their blood,” she said.
The protests which started as a students’ demonstration turned violent and led to the death over 300 people. Following calls for resignation, Sheikh Hasina fled the country giving in to the demands of the protestors.
“No destruction, no anger and no revenge, we need love and peace to rebuild our country,” she added.
The 78-year-old had been serving a 17-year prison sentence for corruption since 2018 under Hasina’s administration.
Her initial term as prime minister in the early 1990s is praised for liberalizing Bangladesh’s economy and fostering long-term economic growth. However, her second term was marred by corruption allegations involving her administration and sons, along with a series of Islamist attacks, one of which almost claimed Hasina’s life.
Zia is reportedly in poor health, dealing with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and cirrhosis of the liver, and she relies on a wheelchair.