- News of her death quickly spread across the nation, prompting an outpouring of tributes and reflection on her legacy.
- In her final days, the country’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, publicly called on citizens to pray for her recovery, describing her as a figure of profound national significance and inspiration.
- Khaleda Zia’s death comes at a moment of political transition and uncertainty for Bangladesh. Revered by supporters as a symbol of resistance and democratic struggle, and criticized by opponents as a polarizing force, she leaves behind a legacy inseparable from the country’s modern political identity.
- As Bangladesh prepares for a crucial election without one of its most influential figures, her absence is certain to reshape the political contest — and the national conversation — in the months ahead.
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister and opposition icon Begum Khaleda Zia has died at the age of 80 after a prolonged battle with serious illness, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) confirmed early Monday.
She passed away in a Dhaka hospital shortly after dawn, marking the end of one of the most consequential political careers in the country’s modern history.
In a statement, the BNP announced that its chairperson and former prime minister died at 6:00 a.m., just after the Fajr prayer, calling on supporters and citizens to pray for her soul. News of her death quickly spread across the nation, prompting an outpouring of tributes and reflection on her legacy.
Khaleda Zia was a political trailblazer. She became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and one of the earliest female heads of government in the Muslim world, breaking barriers in a political arena long dominated by men.
Her leadership helped define the country’s post-military democratic era, even as it deepened one of South Asia’s fiercest political rivalries.
That rivalry — with Sheikh Hasina — would come to dominate Bangladesh’s politics for decades. After Hasina consolidated power and ruled the country for more than ten years, Zia found herself sidelined, imprisoned and politically constrained.
She maintained that the corruption charges brought against her in 2018 were driven by political vendetta rather than justice.
Her fortunes shifted following the student-led uprising in 2024 that brought an abrupt end to Hasina’s rule. Zia was released from detention later that year, and in January 2025 Bangladesh’s Supreme Court cleared her of the final remaining corruption case, effectively restoring her eligibility to contest national elections.
Despite fragile health, Zia had signaled her intention to return to frontline politics ahead of the February 2026 general election.
The BNP, now led by her son Tarique Rahman, was widely regarded as a strong contender, raising expectations of a dramatic political comeback.
Health concerns, however, loomed large. Zia had been suffering from multiple serious ailments, including advanced liver disease, diabetes, arthritis, and chronic heart and chest complications. She traveled to the United Kingdom earlier in 2025 for specialized medical treatment before returning to Bangladesh in May.
In her final days, the country’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, publicly called on citizens to pray for her recovery, describing her as a figure of profound national significance and inspiration.
Khaleda Zia’s death comes at a moment of political transition and uncertainty for Bangladesh. Revered by supporters as a symbol of resistance and democratic struggle, and criticized by opponents as a polarizing force, she leaves behind a legacy inseparable from the country’s modern political identity.
As Bangladesh prepares for a crucial election without one of its most influential figures, her absence is certain to reshape the political contest — and the national conversation — in the months ahead.
— DW.COM
