Dr. Reza Kibria, the son of former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria, has praised BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia highly in a recent interview with a news outlet.

In the interview, he said, "Begum Khaleda Zia’s name is like magic. If we had a leader like her, I believe we could quickly reach a stable political situation again."

Speaking about Begum Zia’s foreign trip for medical treatment, Dr. Kibria remarked, "She is the wife of a military chief and a head of state; she has every right to go. No one has the right to infringe upon that. It's not acceptable for anyone to do so. Therefore, her going abroad is a very positive step. She should certainly go."

He further added, referring to the late President Ziaur Rahman, "Her husband was a war hero, Bir Uttam, sector commander, army chief, and president. If she doesn’t have the right to go, then who does?"

When asked whether Begum Khaleda Zia could become politically active again, Dr. Kibria replied, "I can’t say whether she will be able to return to active politics. That depends on her doctors. But she is an incredibly brave woman. The people of Bangladesh would be very happy to see her return to politics. However, I don't know about her physical capacity."

Dr. Kibria also mentioned that he had met Begum Zia after August 5, and they had discussed political matters. He said, "I met her once after August 5. We talked for about 40 minutes, and I spoke with her along with my wife. She knew well the relationship my father had with President Ziaur Rahman, having been the Foreign Secretary. She was very cordial with me. She was happy that BNP is contesting the elections."

He continued, "Her illness has been a huge loss for our country. If we had a leader like her, we could have quickly moved toward a stable political situation. Her acceptance, both at home and abroad, is unparalleled."

Dr. Kibria also commented on Begum Zia’s popularity, saying, "Her popularity is extremely high. During the 2018 election, I noticed who clapped at what time. I observed that whenever her name was mentioned, the public gave louder applause."

Regarding whether Begum Zia could become Prime Minister or President again if she regains her health, Dr. Kibria stated, "It’s very difficult to predict that. Political situations change every week. We don’t know what the situation will be or what my position will be. I am in discussions with many parties, including from our own team. We’ll see what happens then."