Former Prime Minister and long-time chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda Zia, has died at the age of 80. Her passing was confirmed on Tuesday, following a prolonged illness that had seen her admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. She had been on a ventilator, with her health described as ‘extremely critical’ by her medical team.
The BNP announced the news via their official X handle, stating that Begum Khaleda Zia passed away at 6:00 a.m. after the Fajr prayer and urged for prayers for her departed soul.
Khaleda Zia was a central figure in Bangladesh’s political arena for decades. As the widow of the country’s former President Zia-ur Rahman, she assumed leadership of the BNP and served as Prime Minister from 1991-1996 and 2001-2006. She holds the distinction of being Bangladesh’s first elected female head of government. Her political journey was marked by intense competition, particularly with Sheikh Hasina. Her son, Tarique Rahman, currently the acting chairperson of the BNP, was present at the hospital to be with her.
Born in 1945, Zia’s legacy is deeply embedded in the nation’s political narrative. She had two sons; Tarique Rahman, her elder son, leads the party in her absence, while her younger son, Arafat Rahman, died in 2015. Her political career faced significant legal hurdles, including convictions in corruption cases in 2018, which the BNP contested as politically motivated. A recent presidential order led to her release from house arrest after the political shifts in August 2024, which saw the BNP gain prominence again.
