Bangladesh’s First Female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Passes Away at 80

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's pioneering first female Prime Minister and enduring chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), passed away at the age of 80. The BNP officially confirmed her death through a statement on social media, noting that she departed at approximately 6:00 AM on December 30, 2025, shortly after the Fajr prayer. She had been receiving intensive treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, surrounded by family members including her son Tarique Rahman, who had recently returned from exile, and senior party leaders.

For years, Zia contended with severe health challenges, including advanced liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney complications, lung infections, heart disease, and pneumonia. Admitted to the hospital on November 23, 2025, her condition rapidly declined, necessitating ventilator support from December 11 to ease the burden on her vital organs. A dedicated medical board comprising local and international specialists, along with her daughter-in-law Dr. Zubaida Rahman, provided round-the-clock care, though physicians described her final days as an "extremely critical phase" dependent on medical intervention and prayers.

In early 2025, Zia had traveled to London for advanced treatment before returning to Dhaka in May, where her health continued to deteriorate amid ongoing monitoring. Despite these struggles, she remained a symbol of resilience, having been acquitted by the Supreme Court in January 2025 of longstanding corruption charges that her supporters deemed politically motivated. This clearance positioned her potentially for a political comeback ahead of anticipated elections.

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Born in 1945, Khaleda Zia entered politics following the 1981 assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, founder of the BNP. Initially reluctant, she assumed leadership of the party in 1984, transforming it into a formidable opposition force. Her rise culminated in electoral victories, serving as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006, during which she advanced economic reforms, infrastructure development, and the establishment of the caretaker government system for fair elections.

Zia's political career was indelibly marked by her intense rivalry with Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League, famously known as the "Battle of the Begums." This decades-long contest dominated Bangladesh's democratic landscape, alternating power between the two leaders and influencing key policies and movements, including the pro-democracy uprising against military rule in the 1990s. Her uncompromising stance solidified her as a central figure in the nation's turbulent journey toward multiparty governance, leaving a profound legacy that concludes a pivotal era in Bangladeshi history.

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