Former Bangladeshi PM Khaleda Zia Passes Away at 80

Begum Khaleda Zia, the first woman to serve as prime minister of Bangladesh and a towering figure in the country’s political landscape, has died at the age of 80, her party announced on Tuesday. 

Zia, who led the nation through periods of intense political change and fierce rivalry, passed away after a prolonged illness while under treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Her death at around 6 a.m. came shortly after the Fajr prayer, according to a statement from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which she chaired for decades.  

Born into a politically active family, Zia rose to prominence following the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981. She took the helm of the BNP and led Bangladesh as prime minister in the 1990s and early 2000s, becoming one of the first women in the Muslim world to head an elected government. 

Her tenure was defined by significant achievements, including navigating the country through democratic transitions and institutional reforms. However, her leadership was also marked by controversy, including corruption allegations that her supporters vehemently denied as politically motivated. 

One of the defining features of Zia’s political life was her long-standing rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, another dominant female leader in Bangladeshi politics. The two leaders alternated in power for decades, shaping much of the country’s modern political narrative. 

In the years following her time in office, Khaleda Zia faced a series of legal battles that culminated in her imprisonment on corruption charges. In February 2018, she was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and later in the Zia Charitable Trust case, receiving a combined sentence that amounted to a 17-year term behind bars. These convictions barred her from political participation and were sharply criticized by her supporters as politically motivated and aimed at weakening the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). 

Amid the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina suspended Zia’s jail sentence on humanitarian grounds, citing her advanced age and deteriorating health. Under the terms of her release, she was allowed to leave prison to stay and receive medical care at her Dhaka residence, but she was not permitted to travel abroad and was expected to refrain from political activity during the suspension period. 

Her release was initially granted for six months, and the suspension of her sentence was extended multiple times thereafter as her health concerns persisted.

Despite health challenges in recent years, Zia remained the symbolic leader of the BNP, even as her son, Tarique Rahman, assumed active leadership roles. Her death comes at a critical juncture in Bangladesh’s political calendar, with national elections on the horizon and a shifting landscape of political alliances. 

Leaders and political figures in Bangladesh and abroad have expressed condolences, highlighting her role in advancing women’s leadership and her lasting impact on the nation’s governance and political identity. 

A period of national mourning has been announced as Bangladesh reflects on the legacy of one of its most influential and controversial leaders.