Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a towering figure in the country’s politics, died on Tuesday after a long illness. She was 80. Her party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), confirmed her death and said she had been suffering from multiple ailments, including advanced liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, and heart complications.
Earlier this year, Khaleda travelled to London for medical treatment, where she remained for four months before returning home. Although she had been out of power since 2006 and spent years in jail or under house arrest, she continued to command strong public support through the BNP.
Political legacy shaped by rivalry and reform
Khaleda entered politics after the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981. Three years later, she took over leadership of the BNP and pledged to advance his vision of economic progress. In 1990, she joined forces with Sheikh Hasina to help topple military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad, restoring democracy.
However, their alliance soon collapsed, giving rise to a bitter rivalry that dominated Bangladesh’s politics for decades. In 1991, Khaleda won the country’s first free election and became prime minister, later shifting Bangladesh from a presidential to a parliamentary system. She also promoted foreign investment and introduced free, compulsory primary education.
Although she lost power in 1996, Khaleda returned with a landslide victory in 2001. Nevertheless, her second term faced allegations of corruption and rising militancy, while political violence intensified nationwide.
Final years, detention, and release
After an army-backed interim government took over in 2006, authorities jailed both Khaleda and Hasina. Khaleda never returned to office, and her health deteriorated during repeated detentions. She was released from house arrest in August 2024 following Hasina’s ouster and was later acquitted in key corruption cases. Her death closes a defining chapter in Bangladesh’s political history.
