Khaleda Zia, Muhammad Yunus, Nahid Islam: Who Are The Key Leaders Taking Lead Amid Bangladesh Turmoil

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Bangladesh is set to get a new government as the country's president dissolved parliament on Tuesday. The country's Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman took the responsibility for forming the interim government and reportedly held meetings with key political parties in the country.

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The development came in the backdrop of Sheikh Hasina's resignation as the Bangladesh Prime Minister on Monday amid violent protests. Meanwhile, the dissolved Bangladesh parliament cleared the way for new elections to replace the longtime prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

Amid the political developments in the country , several key names, apart from that of the Army chief, have emerged. Here's a look at who these key Bangladeshi leader are and what's their take towards India:

1. Khaleda Zia: Zia, the arch-rival of Hasina, is the former Bangladesh prime minister and the chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). After Hasina's resignation, President Mohammed Shahabuddin also ordered Zia's release from house arrest. She was convicted on corruption charges by Hasina's government in 2018. She was officially released on Tuesday.

Zia served as the Bangladesh Prime Minister three times. She took over as the PM in 1991, becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She became the prime minister for a second consecutive term in 1996. But she had to resign within a month. Zia was re-elected in 2001 and ruled till 2006.

Under Khaleda Zia's rule, Bangladesh is said to have a rocky relationship with India . During her tenure, India faced challenges related to cross-border terrorism. In its Annual Report 2004-2005, India had expressed concern over the activities of the terrorist groups operating from“the territory of Bangladesh through diplomatic channels, as also in the bilateral meetings between India and Bangladesh.”

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) opposition leader and two-time ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia waves at a rally organised by the BNP and its allies in Dhaka on September 27, 2011.

2. Muhammad Yunus: The name of Muhammad Yunus made headlines when he said he was "hurt" by India's response to the Bangladesh protest and violence . He told The Indian Express, "When India says it's internal affairs, it hurts me. If there is a fire in the brother's house, how can I say it is an internal affair? Diplomacy has a much richer vocabulary than saying it is their internal affair."

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