Bangladesh Mourns Khaleda Zia, A Leader Who Dominated National Politics For Decades

Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the first woman to hold the office, passed away on December 30, 2025, at the age of 80 after a prolonged battle with infections in her heart and lungs, compounded by pneumonia. As the Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Zia served two full terms as Prime Minister—from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006—and played a pivotal role in transitioning Bangladesh from a presidential to a parliamentary system through a 1991 referendum. Alongside Sheikh Hasina, the five-time prime minister and Awami League leader who has been in exile in India since her government's ouster in August 2024, Zia dominated Bangladeshi politics for over three decades, representing two contrasting visions of governance and foreign policy.

Zia's approach to India was marked by caution, sovereignty concerns, and occasional confrontation, particularly in her early years and during her time as Leader of the Opposition. She consistently opposed granting India transit rights across Bangladeshi territory to connect with its northeastern states, arguing that it compromised national security and sovereignty. As prime minister, she refused such access and criticized toll-free use of Bangladeshi roads by Indian trucks as a form of "slavery." She also resisted renewing the 1972 Indo-Bangladesh Friendship Treaty, describing it as having "shackled" the country, and positioned her BNP as the defender of Bangladesh's interests against perceived Indian domination. In a 2018 rally, while Hasina was in power, Zia accused the government of exempting India from transit duties and vowed to resist any attempt to turn Bangladesh into a "state of India."

Despite her firm stance on transit and connectivity, Zia's position was strategic rather than outright rejectionist. She often linked concessions to India with tangible benefits for Bangladesh, such as the signing of the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement. She repeatedly criticized India's Farakka Barrage, operational since 1975, for diverting Ganges water and depriving Bangladesh of its rightful share, even accusing India in 2007 of deliberately worsening floods by opening sluice gates. These issues—water sharing, transit, and perceived unequal benefits—formed the core of her narrative framing India as a dominant neighbor whose influence needed careful balancing.

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Zia's foreign policy also included strengthening ties with China as a counterweight to India. In 2002, she pursued significant defense deals with Beijing, making China the primary supplier of tanks, frigates, and other military equipment to Bangladesh, while maintaining distance from similar cooperation with India. This approach underscored her emphasis on diversifying partnerships and safeguarding national autonomy. Over time, however, her rhetoric softened in certain contexts, particularly as regional realities and domestic political dynamics evolved.

The passing of Khaleda Zia marks the end of an era in Bangladeshi politics, where she and Sheikh Hasina represented two powerful female leaders with starkly different ideologies. While Hasina cultivated closer ties with India, Zia's legacy remains tied to her advocacy for sovereignty, balanced regional relations, and resistance to perceived external dominance. Her death is likely to influence the political landscape ahead of the next general election, with the BNP seeking to leverage her enduring popularity among supporters who view her as a staunch guardian of Bangladesh's independence. As tributes pour in, Zia's complex "India equation"—from early adversarial positions to pragmatic bargaining—continues to shape discussions on bilateral ties between the two neighbors.

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