Amid tumultuous times, Bangladesh mourns the loss of Begum Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female prime minister on Tuesday. The ex-Bangladesh PM passed away at the age of 80 after battling prolonged illness.
“BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is no more. She passed away at 6.00 am on December 30, 2025, while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, Dhaka," said a press communique by Bangladesh National Party (BNP).
According to Prothom Alo, Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the party’s standing committee, said that Khaleda Zia’s funeral is likely to be held on Wednesday at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka.
For several years, she suffered from numerous severe health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, liver and kidney impairment, diabetes, pulmonary disorders, arthritis, and vision-related issues. She had a permanent pacemaker in place and had undergone stent procedures for heart-related complications.
Zia — a central leader in Bangladesh’s conservative politics for more than three decades — had been battling multiple health issues during the final months of her life, including complications that saw her in intensive care since November 23.
Born in 1945, Khaleda Zia entered the political arena in the mid-1980s after the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981, a pivotal moment that thrust her into leadership within the BNP. Overcoming personal tragedy, she became a key opposition leader against military rulers and later emerged as a two-time prime minister — first leading the country from 1991 to 1996 and returned to office from 2001 to 2006 — shaping Bangladesh’s democratic and political trajectory.
Zia’s death comes at a critical moment for Bangladesh, which is gearing up for national elections scheduled for February 12, 2026. The poll is expected to reshape the country’s governance after a period of political upheaval that followed the mass uprising and the exile of Zia’s rival and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year.
In recent weeks, the BNP had appeared increasingly poised to play a decisive role in national politics, buoyed by the return from exile of Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, the party’s acting chairman also marking the first meeting with his mother on Bangladeshi soil after nearly 17 years.
