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Educational reforms

=================

When Zia took charge in 1991, Bangladeshi children received about two years of education on average, and for every three boys, one girl was studying in the same classroom. Zia promoted education and vocational training very radically. Her government made primary education free and mandatory for all. Education was made free for girls until the 10th grade.

To fund implementation of new reforms and policies, in 1994, the education budget was increased by 60%, the highest allocation among the formal budget sectors.

In 1990, only 31.73% of students passed the SSC examination, and the rate was 30.11% for females. In 1995, thanks to her policies, 73.2% of students passed the SSC examination, and among the female students, 71.58% passed.

Economic reforms

=================

Some of the major economic reforms marked Zia's first government, which included the introduction of value-added tax (VAT), the formulation of the Bank Company Act in 1991 and the Financial Institutions Act in 1993, and the establishment of the privatization board in 1993.

A new export processing zone was established near Dhaka in 1993 to attract foreign investors.

Administrative reforms

=================

The first Zia government, to address popular demand, passed a law to allow the mayors of city corporations to be elected directly by the voters. Before that, the elected ward councillors of each ward of the city corporation used to elect the mayor of the city.

Zia's administration abolished the upazila system in November 1991. It formed the Local Government Structure Review Commission, which recommended a two-tier system of local government: district and union councils. Also, the Thana Development and Coordination Committee was formed to coordinate development activities at the thana level.

Second term and defeat (1996)

=================

When the opposition boycotted the 15 February 1996 election, Zia's party, the BNP, had a landslide victory in the 6th Jatiya Sangshad. Other major parties demanded a neutral caretaker government be appointed to oversee the elections. The short-lived parliament hastily introduced the caretaker government by passing the 13th amendment to the constitution. The parliament was dissolved to pave the way for parliamentary elections within 90 days.

In the 12 June 1996 elections, the BNP lost to Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. Winning 116 seats, the BNP emerged as the largest opposition party in the country's parliamentary history.

Third term (2001–2008)

=================

The BNP formed a four-party alliance on 6 January 1999 to increase its chances of returning to power in the next general elections. These included its former political foe, the Jatiya Party, and the Islamic parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Islami Oikya Jote. It encouraged protests against the Awami League.

Many residents strongly criticized Zia and the BNP for allying with Jamaat-e-Islami. The four-party alliance participated in the 1 October 2001 general elections, winning two-thirds of the seats in parliament and 46% of the vote (compared to the principal opposition party's 40%). Zia was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

She worked on a 100-day programme to fulfil most of her election pledges to the nation. During this term, the share of domestic resources in economic development efforts grew. Bangladesh began to attract a higher level of international investment for the development of the country's infrastructure, energy resources and businesses, including from the United States, Great Britain, and Japan. Restoration of law and order was an achievement during the period.

Zia promoted neighbourly relations in her foreign policy. In her "look-east policy", she worked to bolster regional cooperation in South Asia and adherence to the UN Charter of Human Rights. She negotiated the settlement of international disputes and renounced the use of force in international relations. Bangladesh began to participate in United Nations international peacekeeping efforts. In 2006, Forbes magazine featured her administration in a major story praising her achievements. Her government worked to educate young girls (nearly 70% of Bangladeshi women were illiterate) and distribute food to the poor (half of Bangladesh's 135 million people lived below the poverty line). Her government promoted strong GDP growth (5%) based on economic reforms and support of an entrepreneurial culture.

When Zia became prime minister for the third time, the GDP growth rate of Bangladesh remained above 6 percent. The Bangladesh per capita national income rose to 482 dollars. The foreign exchange reserves of Bangladesh had crossed 3 billion dollars from the previous 1 billion dollars. The foreign direct investments of Bangladesh had risen to 2.5 billion dollars. The industrial sector of the GDP had exceeded 17 percent at the end of Zia's office. At the same time, Bangladesh was the most corrupt country in the world according to Corruption Perceptions Index during her tenure.

On 29 October 2006, Zia's term in office ended. In accordance with the constitution, a caretaker government would manage the 90-day interim before general elections. On the eve of the last day, rioting broke out on the streets of central Dhaka due to uncertainty over who would become chief adviser (head of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh). Under the constitution, the immediate past chief justice was to be appointed. However, Chief Justice Khondokar Mahmud Hasan (K M Hasan) declined the position. President Iajuddin Ahmed, as provided for in the constitution, assumed power as Chief Adviser on 29 October 2006. He tried to arrange elections and bring all political parties to the table during months of violence; 40 people were killed and hundreds injured in the first month after the government's resignation in November 2006.

Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, the presidential adviser, met with Zia and Sheikh Hasina, and other political parties to try to resolve issues and schedule elections. Negotiations continued against a backdrop of political bickering, protests, and polarisation that threatened the economy. Officially on 26 December 2006, all political parties joined the planned 22 January 2007 elections. The Awami League pulled out at the last minute, and in January, the military intervened to back the caretaker government for a longer interim period. It held power until holding general elections in December 2008.

Overall, the BNP's term between 2001–2006 saw significant growth in the industrial and service sectors of the economy, upliftment of people from poverty, and Bangladesh emerged as an economic stronghold in South Asia.

Post-premiership (2006–2025)

=================

Detention during the caretaker government

=================

Former Bangladesh Bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed became the chief adviser to the interim caretaker government on 12 January 2007. In March, Zia's eldest son, Tarique Rahman, was arrested for corruption. Enforcing the suppression of political activity under the state of emergency, from 9 April, the government barred politicians from visiting Zia's residence. Her other son, Arafat Rahman (Coco), was arrested for corruption on 16 April. On 17 April, The Daily Star reported that Zia had agreed to go into exile with Arafat. Her family said the Saudi Arabian government reportedly declined to allow her into the country because "it was reluctant to take in an unwilling guest." Based on an appeal, on 22 April, the High Court issued a ruling for the government to explain that she was not confined to her house. On 25 April, the government lifted restrictions on both Zia and Sheikh Hasina. On 7 May, the Bangladesh High Court ordered the government to explain continuing restrictions on Zia.

On 17 July, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sent notices to both Zia and Hasina, requesting that details of their assets be submitted to the commission within one week. Zia was asked to appear in court on 27 September in connection with a case for not submitting service returns for Daily Dinkal Publications Limited for years. On 2 September, the government filed charges of corruption against Zia related to the awarding of contracts to Global Agro Trade Company in 2003. She was arrested on 3 September. She was detained in a makeshift prison on the parliament building premises. On the same day, Zia expelled her party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Joint Secretary General Whip Ashraf Hossain for breaching party discipline.

BNP standing committee members chose former Minister of Finance Saifur Rahman and former Minister of Water Resources Hafizuddin Ahmed to lead the party. The Bangladesh Election Commission subsequently invited Hafizuddin's faction, rather than Zia's, to participate in talks, effectively recognizing the former as the legitimate BNP. Zia challenged this in court, but her appeal was rejected on 10 April 2008.

Zia was released on bail on 11 September 2008 from her yearlong detention.

In December 2008, the caretaker government organized general elections where Zia's party lost to the Awami League and its Grand Alliance (with 13 smaller parties), which took a two-thirds majority of seats in the parliament. Sheikh Hasina became the prime minister, and her party formed a government in early 2009. Zia became the opposition leader of the parliament.

Eviction from the cantonment house

=================

Zia's family had been living for 38 years in the 1.1-hectare (2.72-acre) plot house at 6 Shaheed Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment. It was the official residence of her husband, Ziaur Rahman, when he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS) of the Bangladesh Army. After he became the president of Bangladesh, he kept the house as his residence. Following his assassination in 1981, the acting president, Abdus Sattar, leased the house "for life" to Zia for a nominal ৳101. When the army took over the government in 1983, Hussain Mohammad Ershad confirmed this arrangement.

On 20 April 2009, the Directorate of Military Lands and Cantonments handed Zia a notice asking her to vacate the cantonment residence. Several allegations and irregularities are mentioned in the notice – first, Zia had been carrying out political activities from the house, which went against a condition of the allotment; second, one could not get an allotment of two government houses in the capital; and third, a civilian could not get a resident lease within a cantonment. Zia vacated the house on 13 November 2010. She then moved to the residence of her brother, Sayeed Iskandar, in the Gulshan neighbourhood.

Foreign engagements

=================

Zia made some high-profile foreign visits in the latter part of 2012. Invited to Saudi Arabia in August by the royal family, she met with the Saudi crown prince and defence minister Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to talk about bilateral ties. She tried to promote better access for Bangladeshi migrant workers to the Saudi labour market, which was in decline at the time. She later went to the People's Republic of China in October, at the invitation of the government. She met with Chinese leaders, including then Vice President Xi Jinping and the head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, Wang Jiarui. Xi became CCP general secretary in 2012. Talks in China related to trade and prospective Chinese investment in Bangladesh, particularly the issue of financing the Padma Bridge. At the beginning of 2012, the World Bank, a major prospective financier, had withdrawn, accusing government ministers of graft. The BNP announced that the Chinese funding for a second Padma Bridge was confirmed during her visit. On 28 October 2012, Zia visited India to meet with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several officials, including foreign minister Salman Khurshid, national security adviser Shivshankar Menon, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai and BJP leader and leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj. Talks were scheduled to cover bilateral trade and regional security. Zia's India visit was considered notable, as the BNP had been considered to have been anti-India compared to its rival Awami League. At her meeting with Prime Minister Singh, Zia said her party wanted to work with India for mutual benefit, including the fight against extremism. Indian officials announced they had come to an agreement with her to pursue a common geopolitical doctrine in the greater region to discourage terrorists.

Boycotting the 2014 election

=================

Zia's party took a stance on not participating in the 2014 Bangladeshi general election unless it was administered under a nonpartisan caretaker government, but the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina rejected the demand. The Bangladesh Awami League, led by Hasina, won the election in 232 seats (out of 300). The official counts from Dhaka suggested that the turnout here averaged about 22 percent.

In 2016, the BNP announced its new National Standing Committee, in which Zia retained her position as the chairperson.

In 2017, the police conducted a raid on Zia's house to search for "anti-state" documents.

Charges and imprisonment in 2018

=================

Educational reforms

=================

When Zia took charge in 1991, Bangladeshi children received about two years of education on average, and for every three boys, one girl was studying in the same classroom. Zia promoted education and vocational training very radically. Her government made primary education free and mandatory for all. Education was made free for girls until the 10th grade.

To fund implementation of new reforms and policies, in 1994, the education budget was increased by 60%, the highest allocation among the formal budget sectors.

In 1990, only 31.73% of students passed the SSC examination, and the rate was 30.11% for females. In 1995, thanks to her policies, 73.2% of students passed the SSC examination, and among the female students, 71.58% passed.

Economic reforms

=================

Some of the major economic reforms marked Zia's first government, which included the introduction of value-added tax (VAT), the formulation of the Bank Company Act in 1991 and the Financial Institutions Act in 1993, and the establishment of the privatization board in 1993.

A new export processing zone was established near Dhaka in 1993 to attract foreign investors.

Administrative reforms

=================

The first Zia government, to address popular demand, passed a law to allow the mayors of city corporations to be elected directly by the voters. Before that, the elected ward councillors of each ward of the city corporation used to elect the mayor of the city.

Zia's administration abolished the upazila system in November 1991. It formed the Local Government Structure Review Commission, which recommended a two-tier system of local government: district and union councils. Also, the Thana Development and Coordination Committee was formed to coordinate development activities at the thana level.

Second term and defeat (1996)

=================

When the opposition boycotted the 15 February 1996 election, Zia's party, the BNP, had a landslide victory in the 6th Jatiya Sangshad. Other major parties demanded a neutral caretaker government be appointed to oversee the elections. The short-lived parliament hastily introduced the caretaker government by passing the 13th amendment to the constitution. The parliament was dissolved to pave the way for parliamentary elections within 90 days.

In the 12 June 1996 elections, the BNP lost to Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. Winning 116 seats, the BNP emerged as the largest opposition party in the country's parliamentary history.

Third term (2001–2008)

=================

The BNP formed a four-party alliance on 6 January 1999 to increase its chances of returning to power in the next general elections. These included its former political foe, the Jatiya Party, and the Islamic parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Islami Oikya Jote. It encouraged protests against the Awami League.

Many residents strongly criticized Zia and the BNP for allying with Jamaat-e-Islami. The four-party alliance participated in the 1 October 2001 general elections, winning two-thirds of the seats in parliament and 46% of the vote (compared to the principal opposition party's 40%). Zia was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

She worked on a 100-day programme to fulfil most of her election pledges to the nation. During this term, the share of domestic resources in economic development efforts grew. Bangladesh began to attract a higher level of international investment for the development of the country's infrastructure, energy resources and businesses, including from the United States, Great Britain, and Japan. Restoration of law and order was an achievement during the period.

Zia promoted neighbourly relations in her foreign policy. In her "look-east policy", she worked to bolster regional cooperation in South Asia and adherence to the UN Charter of Human Rights. She negotiated the settlement of international disputes and renounced the use of force in international relations. Bangladesh began to participate in United Nations international peacekeeping efforts. In 2006, Forbes magazine featured her administration in a major story praising her achievements. Her government worked to educate young girls (nearly 70% of Bangladeshi women were illiterate) and distribute food to the poor (half of Bangladesh's 135 million people lived below the poverty line). Her government promoted strong GDP growth (5%) based on economic reforms and support of an entrepreneurial culture.

When Zia became prime minister for the third time, the GDP growth rate of Bangladesh remained above 6 percent. The Bangladesh per capita national income rose to 482 dollars. The foreign exchange reserves of Bangladesh had crossed 3 billion dollars from the previous 1 billion dollars. The foreign direct investments of Bangladesh had risen to 2.5 billion dollars. The industrial sector of the GDP had exceeded 17 percent at the end of Zia's office. At the same time, Bangladesh was the most corrupt country in the world according to Corruption Perceptions Index during her tenure.

On 29 October 2006, Zia's term in office ended. In accordance with the constitution, a caretaker government would manage the 90-day interim before general elections. On the eve of the last day, rioting broke out on the streets of central Dhaka due to uncertainty over who would become chief adviser (head of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh). Under the constitution, the immediate past chief justice was to be appointed. However, Chief Justice Khondokar Mahmud Hasan (K M Hasan) declined the position. President Iajuddin Ahmed, as provided for in the constitution, assumed power as Chief Adviser on 29 October 2006. He tried to arrange elections and bring all political parties to the table during months of violence; 40 people were killed and hundreds injured in the first month after the government's resignation in November 2006.

Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, the presidential adviser, met with Zia and Sheikh Hasina, and other political parties to try to resolve issues and schedule elections. Negotiations continued against a backdrop of political bickering, protests, and polarisation that threatened the economy. Officially on 26 December 2006, all political parties joined the planned 22 January 2007 elections. The Awami League pulled out at the last minute, and in January, the military intervened to back the caretaker government for a longer interim period. It held power until holding general elections in December 2008.

Overall, the BNP's term between 2001–2006 saw significant growth in the industrial and service sectors of the economy, upliftment of people from poverty, and Bangladesh emerged as an economic stronghold in South Asia.

Post-premiership (2006–2025)

=================

Detention during the caretaker government

=================

Former Bangladesh Bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed became the chief adviser to the interim caretaker government on 12 January 2007. In March, Zia's eldest son, Tarique Rahman, was arrested for corruption. Enforcing the suppression of political activity under the state of emergency, from 9 April, the government barred politicians from visiting Zia's residence. Her other son, Arafat Rahman (Coco), was arrested for corruption on 16 April. On 17 April, The Daily Star reported that Zia had agreed to go into exile with Arafat. Her family said the Saudi Arabian government reportedly declined to allow her into the country because "it was reluctant to take in an unwilling guest." Based on an appeal, on 22 April, the High Court issued a ruling for the government to explain that she was not confined to her house. On 25 April, the government lifted restrictions on both Zia and Sheikh Hasina. On 7 May, the Bangladesh High Court ordered the government to explain continuing restrictions on Zia.

On 17 July, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sent notices to both Zia and Hasina, requesting that details of their assets be submitted to the commission within one week. Zia was asked to appear in court on 27 September in connection with a case for not submitting service returns for Daily Dinkal Publications Limited for years. On 2 September, the government filed charges of corruption against Zia related to the awarding of contracts to Global Agro Trade Company in 2003. She was arrested on 3 September. She was detained in a makeshift prison on the parliament building premises. On the same day, Zia expelled her party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Joint Secretary General Whip Ashraf Hossain for breaching party discipline.

BNP standing committee members chose former Minister of Finance Saifur Rahman and former Minister of Water Resources Hafizuddin Ahmed to lead the party. The Bangladesh Election Commission subsequently invited Hafizuddin's faction, rather than Zia's, to participate in talks, effectively recognizing the former as the legitimate BNP. Zia challenged this in court, but her appeal was rejected on 10 April 2008.

Zia was released on bail on 11 September 2008 from her yearlong detention.

In December 2008, the caretaker government organized general elections where Zia's party lost to the Awami League and its Grand Alliance (with 13 smaller parties), which took a two-thirds majority of seats in the parliament. Sheikh Hasina became the prime minister, and her party formed a government in early 2009. Zia became the opposition leader of the parliament.

Eviction from the cantonment house

=================

Zia's family had been living for 38 years in the 1.1-hectare (2.72-acre) plot house at 6 Shaheed Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment. It was the official residence of her husband, Ziaur Rahman, when he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS) of the Bangladesh Army. After he became the president of Bangladesh, he kept the house as his residence. Following his assassination in 1981, the acting president, Abdus Sattar, leased the house "for life" to Zia for a nominal ৳101. When the army took over the government in 1983, Hussain Mohammad Ershad confirmed this arrangement.

On 20 April 2009, the Directorate of Military Lands and Cantonments handed Zia a notice asking her to vacate the cantonment residence. Several allegations and irregularities are mentioned in the notice – first, Zia had been carrying out political activities from the house, which went against a condition of the allotment; second, one could not get an allotment of two government houses in the capital; and third, a civilian could not get a resident lease within a cantonment. Zia vacated the house on 13 November 2010. She then moved to the residence of her brother, Sayeed Iskandar, in the Gulshan neighbourhood.

Foreign engagements

=================

Zia made some high-profile foreign visits in the latter part of 2012. Invited to Saudi Arabia in August by the royal family, she met with the Saudi crown prince and defence minister Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to talk about bilateral ties. She tried to promote better access for Bangladeshi migrant workers to the Saudi labour market, which was in decline at the time. She later went to the People's Republic of China in October, at the invitation of the government. She met with Chinese leaders, including then Vice President Xi Jinping and the head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, Wang Jiarui. Xi became CCP general secretary in 2012. Talks in China related to trade and prospective Chinese investment in Bangladesh, particularly the issue of financing the Padma Bridge. At the beginning of 2012, the World Bank, a major prospective financier, had withdrawn, accusing government ministers of graft. The BNP announced that the Chinese funding for a second Padma Bridge was confirmed during her visit. On 28 October 2012, Zia visited India to meet with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several officials, including foreign minister Salman Khurshid, national security adviser Shivshankar Menon, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai and BJP leader and leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj. Talks were scheduled to cover bilateral trade and regional security. Zia's India visit was considered notable, as the BNP had been considered to have been anti-India compared to its rival Awami League. At her meeting with Prime Minister Singh, Zia said her party wanted to work with India for mutual benefit, including the fight against extremism. Indian officials announced they had come to an agreement with her to pursue a common geopolitical doctrine in the greater region to discourage terrorists.

Boycotting the 2014 election

=================

Zia's party took a stance on not participating in the 2014 Bangladeshi general election unless it was administered under a nonpartisan caretaker government, but the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina rejected the demand. The Bangladesh Awami League, led by Hasina, won the election in 232 seats (out of 300). The official counts from Dhaka suggested that the turnout here averaged about 22 percent.

In 2016, the BNP announced its new National Standing Committee, in which Zia retained her position as the chairperson.

In 2017, the police conducted a raid on Zia's house to search for "anti-state" documents.

Charges and imprisonment in 2018

=================