Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has passed away. She breathed her last at 6:am on Tuesday (30 December) while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital. She was 80 years. The BNP Media Cell confirmed the news.
For a long time, she had been suffering from multiple health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney problems. After experiencing respiratory distress, she was admitted to Evercare Hospital on 23 November. Her treatment was being overseen by a medical board comprising both local and foreign specialist physicians. Although there were efforts to take her abroad for advanced treatment, her deteriorating physical condition made it impossible.
Following her janaza after prayers at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka on Wednesday (31 December), plans have been made to bury her beside the grave of her husband, the late President and Shaheed Ziaur Rahman. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed disclosed this information, adding that preparations are underway at both the party and family levels.
Begum Khaleda Zia was Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister and the second elected female head of government in the Muslim world. She served as Prime Minister of the country for three terms starting from 1991. Throughout her long political career, she was never defeated in any National Parliament constituency—an achievement regarded as a rare record in Bangladesh’s political history.
She was born in 1945 in Dinajpur district to Iskandar Majumder and Taiba Majumder. Her childhood and education were spent in Dinajpur. In 1960, she married then army officer Ziaur Rahman. During President Ziaur Rahman’s tenure, she served as First Lady, participating in various state visits and representing Bangladesh on the international stage.
After President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in 1981, she became actively involved in politics. She joined the BNP in 1982, gradually rose through the party ranks, and was elected Chairperson of the party in 1984.
The death of Begum Khaleda Zia has cast a pall of grief over the country’s political arena. Her passing has evoked deep sorrow and respect among political colleagues, followers, and the general public alike. She leaves behind a legacy of prolonged political struggle, leadership, and a significant chapter in history that will remain memorable in Bangladesh’s politics for a long time.