Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's pioneering first female prime minister and enduring chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), passed away on December 30, 2025, at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 80. She had been battling prolonged illnesses, including advanced liver cirrhosis, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, kidney complications, and severe pneumonia, having been admitted on November 23 after a lung infection worsened her condition. Her death, announced by her son and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman—who had recently returned from exile—marks the end of a remarkable era in Bangladeshi politics defined by resilience and rivalry.
The interim government declared three days of national mourning and a general holiday on Wednesday for her funeral, with prayers scheduled before the national parliament building followed by burial beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, assassinated in 1981. Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, in a televised address and social media post, conveyed profound grief, labeling Zia a "towering stateswoman" and "great guardian" whose legacy represents a vital chapter in Bangladesh's democratic history. He urged citizens to maintain calm and discipline during mourning, acknowledging the deep emotions surrounding her passing in a nation still navigating post-uprising turbulence.
Tributes from neighboring leaders highlighted Zia's diplomatic and developmental impact. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sadness on social media, praising her contributions to Bangladesh's progress and bilateral ties with India, while extending condolences to her family and the Bangladeshi people. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif mourned her as a leader with a "lasting legacy" and a steadfast ally to Pakistan. Even exiled rival Sheikh Hasina offered sympathies, recognizing Zia's role in democracy as a "profound loss" for the nation's political landscape.
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China's leadership, through Ambassador Yao Wen and messages from Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, honored Zia as a champion of freedom and reaffirmed strong ties with the BNP. Sri Lanka's Namal Rajapaksa described her demise as a significant blow to regional democracy and SAARC cooperation. Additional condolences flowed from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Iran, and the United Nations, underscoring her pivotal influence on modern Bangladesh and its international relations.
Zia's death concludes decades of intense political duality with Sheikh Hasina—overthrown in the 2024 student-led revolt—amid Bangladesh's ongoing transition under Yunus's interim administration toward elections in February 2026. As crowds gathered in grief and BNP leaders like Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury hailed her as the "queen of democracy," her legacy endures as one of unbreakable opposition to authoritarianism, having risen from widowhood to lead the nation through turbulent times despite years of imprisonment and health struggles.
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