Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Passes Away at 80

The first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia, died following a prolonged illness. Her opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), confirmed the news on Tuesday. The 80-year-old Khaleda Zia suffered from liver cirrhosis. According to her doctors, she also had arthritis and diabetes. Furthermore, she was battling heart disease.

Zia’s Tenure as Prime Minister

Khaleda Zia served as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister twice. She led the nation first from 1991 to 1996 and then from 2001 to 2006. She was the wife of former President Ziaur Rahman. Rahman was also the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Her elder son, Tarique Rahman, is the BNP’s acting chairman. He had been living in London since 2008. He only returned to Bangladesh this month. Her younger son, Arafat Rahman, died in 2015 due to a heart attack.

Amid significant political unrest, Khaleda Zia was released from jail. Her release occurred on August 6, 2024. She then traveled to London for better medical treatment. She returned to Bangladesh on May 6 after four months there.

A Central Figure in Bangladesh Politics

Bangladesh’s politics revolved around two leaders for decades. These were Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League and Khaleda Zia, the BNP chief. Media outlets termed this political rivalry the ‘Battle of Begums’. Since 1990, every election saw power go to either Sheikh Hasina or Khaleda Zia.

Both leaders collaborated against the military rule in the 1980s. However, their political friction deepened greatly. This happened after democracy was restored in 1991. Khaleda Zia became the Prime Minister then.

Khaleda Zia’s Entry into Politics

Khaleda Zia was born in 1945. She had no family ties to politics. She married a military officer, Ziaur Rahman, in 1960. During the 1971 war for Bangladesh’s independence, Ziaur Rahman read the declaration. He announced an independent Bangladesh on the radio. Political instability increased in the country. This followed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s assassination in 1975. Ziaur Rahman became President in 1977. He established the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He was murdered in a military coup. This occurred in Chittagong on May 30, 1981.

The BNP began to collapse after her husband’s murder. Party leaders then urged Khaleda Zia to take charge. She took the party’s command in 1984. She won the first democratic election in 1991. She thus became the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Khaleda Zia’s demise marks the end of an era in Bangladesh politics.