• Khaleda Zia returns to Bangladesh after months of medical treatment in London.
• Her presence increases pressure on the interim government to schedule national elections.
• The political scene is tense as her rival Sheikh Hasina remains in exile in India.
• Supporters welcomed Zia with large crowds emphasizing her symbolic importance for the BNP.
• The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has pledged to hold elections by June 2026.

On Tuesday, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia returned to Bangladesh after undergoing medical treatment in London for several months, prompting renewed pressure on the interim government to establish a timetable for national elections. Zia's return is particularly significant as the country has been under the interim leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since the ousting of Sheikh Hasina in a student-led uprising last August, which has drastically shifted the political landscape, according to Al Jazeera and TRT Global.

Crowds gathered outside the Dhaka airport to welcome Zia, with thousands of supporters waving party flags and displaying photographs of her as she arrived on a special air ambulance, a gesture facilitated by Qatar’s Emir. This passionate reception highlights her symbolic value for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) while her rival, Hasina, currently resides in India, making Zia's presence even more pivotal at this moment, according to Dawn and TRT Global.

Zia’s political comeback occurs as her party pushes for elections to be held as early as December, with the Yunus administration indicating a final deadline of June next year. The political climate remains tense, as BNP officials assert that Zia’s return will aid in restoring democratic processes, given that Hasina, who was in power during Zia’s controversial jailing on corruption charges in 2018, is evading arrest related to crimes against humanity, according to Dawn and Al Jazeera.