Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s First Female Prime Minister, Dies at 80
Begum Khaleda Zia, the pioneering leader who became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and a dominant force in the country’s politics for decades, passed away on December 30, 2025, at the age of 80. Her death was announced by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which she led as chairperson until the end. She died at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka after a prolonged battle with illness, including advanced liver cirrhosis, heart complications, diabetes, arthritis, kidney issues, and a recent lung infection that developed into pneumonia.
Born in 1945 in Dinajpur district—then part of British India—Khaleda Zia was initially known as a reserved housewife. Her life changed dramatically following the 1981 assassination of her husband, Ziaur Rahman, a hero of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war, former army chief, and president who founded the BNP. Stepping into the political void, she transformed into a resilient opposition leader, campaigning against military rule in the 1980s and playing a key role in restoring multiparty democracy.
Zia served as prime minister three times: from 1991 to 1996, a brief caretaker term in 1996, and from 2001 to 2006—making her the longest-serving head of government in post-independence Bangladesh. Her administrations focused on economic liberalization, infrastructure development, and strengthening ties with regional powers, though they faced criticism over governance and allegations of corruption.
Her political career was inextricably linked to a fierce rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The two women, often dubbed the “Battling Begums,” alternated in power, embodying competing visions for the nation: Zia’s BNP emphasized nationalism and market reforms, while Hasina’s Awami League leaned toward secularism and social welfare. Their feud fueled turbulent politics, marked by election boycotts, street protests, strikes, and mutual accusations of authoritarianism.
In later years, Zia endured significant hardships. Under Hasina’s government, she faced multiple corruption charges—which she dismissed as politically motivated—leading to imprisonment in 2018 and subsequent house arrest. Her health deteriorated during this period, compounded by chronic conditions. She was released in 2020 on humanitarian grounds amid the COVID-19 pandemic and fully freed in August 2024 following Hasina’s ouster in a student-led uprising. In early 2025, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court acquitted her in the remaining cases, clearing the way for potential political comeback. She traveled to London for treatment that year and, despite frailty, expressed intent to campaign in upcoming elections.
Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, the BNP’s acting chairman, had returned from long exile in London just days before her death, reuniting with her briefly. Her younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko, predeceased her in 2015.
Bangladesh declared three days of national mourning, with her funeral held on December 31, 2025, featuring prayers in front of parliament before burial beside her husband. Interim leader Muhammad Yunus described her as a “symbol of the democratic movement,” while international figures, including India’s Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, paid tributes, acknowledging her contributions to democracy and regional relations.
With Zia’s passing—and Hasina in exile—the era of dynastic duopoly that defined Bangladesh’s post-independence politics comes to a close, leaving a legacy of empowerment for women in leadership amid a history of profound division and resilience.
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