Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, has died at the age of 80 after a long illness. She was a longtime rival of former leader Sheikh Hasina.
“Our favourite leader is no longer with us. She left us at 6am this morning,” the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Facebook.
Zia had been in hospital for a month. She was treated for kidney damage, heart disease, and pneumonia. Doctors said her condition was “extremely critical.”
She entered politics after her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, was killed in 1981. She became prime minister in 1991. Her first term focused on restoring democracy and improving education for women.
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Zia spent years in prison and under house arrest. She faced corruption charges she denied as politically motivated. She had planned to run in February elections after being released in January 2025.
BNP interim leader Muhammad Yunus called her “a source of utmost inspiration for the nation” and “a symbol of the democratic movement.”
Sheikh Hasina, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif all paid tribute.
Zia died surrounded by her family, including her son Tarique Rahman. The BNP asked supporters to pray for her soul.