Khaleda Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and a central figure in the country's politics for decades, has died at the age of 80. Her death was announced on Tuesday morning by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Zia's long-running rivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined Bangladeshi politics for a generation. She first came to power in 1991, serving until 1996, and later had a brief second stint. The two women alternated in office for over 30 years, often in fierce political opposition.
In 2018, Zia was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison, a case her party claimed was politically motivated. She remained under house arrest for years until the fall of Hasina's government in a 2024 mass uprising led to her release.
Despite ill health, Zia vowed in November to campaign in elections scheduled for February 2026, but was later hospitalised. Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus called her a 'symbol of the democratic movement' in a statement following her death.
Zia is expected to be buried on Wednesday in Dhaka, alongside her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman. Her son Tarique Rahman, who returned from exile in the UK this month, is poised to lead the BNP into the upcoming elections.
