Khaleda Zia passes away: Bangladesh’s first woman PM, breathed her last in Dhaka after prolonged illness.

Dhaka. Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia has passed away. She was 80 years old. The long rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina defined the country’s politics for a generation. Khaleda Zia had several corruption cases registered against her, which she described as politically motivated.

In January 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted her in the final corruption case against her, allowing her to contest the elections to be held in February. She returned to the country in May after undergoing treatment in Britain. Earlier, in early January, the interim government of Bangladesh had given him permission to travel abroad. Sheikh Hasina’s government had earlier rejected his requests to go abroad at least 18 times.

Khaleda Zia was married to President Ziaur Rehman, who was assassinated during a coup in 1981. After this, Khaleda Zia played an important role in building a mass movement against the military dictator, who was ultimately removed from power in 1990. She held the post of Prime Minister for the first time in 1991 and then held this post again from 2001. His main rival in that election and in many subsequent elections was Sheikh Hasina.