Khaleda Zia, First Female Bangladesh Prime Minister, Dies Aged 80
Zia’s archrivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country’s politics for a generation
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a towering figure whose bitter rivalry with Sheikh Hasina dominated the country’s politics for more than a generation, has died at the age of 80.
Her death was confirmed on Tuesday morning by the Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP), ending the life of one of the most influential—and polarising—leaders in the nation’s history since independence more than five decades ago.
Zia was the widow of Ziaur Rahman, the former president and military leader widely credited with playing a central role in Bangladesh’s struggle for democracy. Rahman was assassinated in a military coup in 1981, a moment that reshaped the country’s political future and ultimately propelled Zia into public life.
Stepping into politics after her husband’s death, Zia embraced leadership with determination and quickly built a devoted base of supporters, particularly for her staunch opposition to military rule. She rose to power in 1991, becoming Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, and served until 1996. She later returned briefly to office, though that second term ended amid controversy when opposition parties boycotted the election results. Sheikh Hasina soon emerged victorious, cementing a rivalry that would dominate Bangladeshi politics for the next 30 years.
For decades, Zia and Hasina alternated in power, locked in an intense and deeply personal political battle that divided the nation. Zia’s government following her 2001 election victory was dogged by allegations of corruption. When Hasina returned to power in 2009, a series of legal cases were filed against Zia, further escalating political tensions.
In 2018, Zia was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The BNP strongly rejected the verdict, arguing the cases were politically driven attempts to crush the opposition—claims consistently denied by Hasina’s administration.
During Hasina’s rule, the BNP faced sustained pressure, with many senior figures imprisoned or forced into exile. Zia herself spent years under house arrest as her health steadily declined. Her circumstances changed only after Hasina was forced from power during a mass uprising in 2024, leading to Zia’s release after years of confinement.
In January, Zia was finally permitted to travel abroad for medical treatment after repeated requests—rejected at least 18 times by the previous government—were approved. Despite her worsening health and long imprisonment, Zia announced in November that she intended to campaign in the elections scheduled for February 2026, the first national vote since Hasina’s downfall.
Later that month, however, Zia was hospitalised, and her condition continued to deteriorate until her death.
Following the announcement, interim prime minister Muhammad Yunus paid tribute to Zia, describing her as a “symbol of the democratic movement” in Bangladesh.
Her son, Tarique Rahman, who spent 18 years living in exile in the United Kingdom, returned to Bangladesh earlier this month to contest the upcoming elections. The BNP is widely seen as the leading contender in the post-Hasina political landscape.
Zia is expected to be laid to rest on Wednesday in Dhaka, where she will be buried alongside her late husband, bringing to a close an era that profoundly shaped Bangladesh’s political history.