Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister passed away at the age 80 Tuesday 30 December, 2025 after a long illness, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party( BNP) announced.
She had been suffering from multiple health issues, involving advanced liver diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and heart problems. She had received treatment at a specialised private hospital in Dhaka.
Khaleda Zia married Ziaur Rahman, the former president of Bangladesh, who was killed in a coup in 1981. After his death, Khaleda led a seven- party alliance to end the military regime of General Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
She joined the BNP as a general member and became vice-chairperson in 1983, before being elected chairperson a year later.
Khaleda became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister in 1991. During her tenure, she introduced a parliamentary system of government and the caretaker government system to oversee elections.
She served compactly in 1996 and returned to authority in 2001 after vowing to clash corruption and terrorism.
She was jailed in 2007 on corruption charges and again in 2018 for the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases, serving year in prison before being released.
Khaleda Zia left behind a strong political legacy in Bangladesh and remains a significant figure in South Asian politics, with enduring ties to India throughout her life.
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