Former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia has been released from prison after spending a year there on corruption charges.
Earlier this week, the High Court in Bangladesh granted bail to Ms Zia.
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She denies the charges. Last week, her son Tarique Rahman, who is also facing corruption allegations, was given bail.
Ms Zia's lawyer Ahmed Azam Khan said the former prime minister was released around 1130 local time (0530 GMT).
Several thousand supporters gathered outside the court to greet Ms Zia, reports said.
Ms Zia's arch rival, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was granted bail in June to travel to the United States for treatment of ear and eye complaints.
Accused
Ms Zia maintains that she will not go abroad for medical help, preferring instead to receive treatment in Bangladesh.
Some politicians in Bangladesh are accused of acquiring luxury properties.
The two ex-premiers and about 170 other key politicians, mostly from Ms Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party, were detained in a huge anti-corruption drive after the army-backed interim government assumed power in January 2007 following months of political violence.
Over the past eight weeks more than 50 have been freed on bail while many others have applied to be released, officials said.
Analysts say that the releases are part of an effort to ensure that all the main parties, notably the BNP and Awami League, contest the elections.
Both parties - which alternated in power over 15 years up to 2006 - have threatened to boycott the elections, a development which diplomats say would seriously detract from the credibility of the vote.
The interim government led by former central bank chief Fakhruddin Ahmed has vowed to stage free and fair elections once the nation's political parties have been cleansed of endemic corruption.
(BBC)
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