Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a central figure in the country’s modern political history, has died after a long illness. She was 80.
Her death comes just months before national elections scheduled for February, which would have been the first since a popular uprising in late 2024 ended the rule of her long-time rival, Sheikh Hasina. Zia had planned to seek a third term as prime minister.
Zia rose to prominence following the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in a 1981 military coup. Initially a reserved public figure, she entered politics soon after his death and went on to lead the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In 1991, she made history by becoming the country’s first woman prime minister.
Doctors said on Monday that her condition had become “extremely critical.” She was placed on life support, but her age and multiple health complications limited treatment options. Zia had been hospitalized for about a month, receiving care for kidney failure, heart disease and pneumonia.
“Our beloved leader passed away at 6:00 this morning,” the BNP announced in a statement on Tuesday. Following the announcement, supporters gathered outside Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she had been receiving treatment.
Zia’s political career was marked by intense rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The two women dominated national politics for decades, alternating in power and presiding over a deeply polarized political landscape.
Her first term in office was credited with restoring parliamentary democracy through constitutional reform and advancing policies on women’s education and social development. However, later terms were more controversial. A brief second term in 1996 drew criticism over electoral legitimacy, while her final administration from 2001 to 2006 was dogged by corruption allegations.
Over the past 16 years, as the Awami League consolidated power, Zia became a symbol of opposition to what critics described as increasingly authoritarian rule. She boycotted the 2014 elections after the abolition of the caretaker government system and was later convicted on corruption charges, which she consistently described as politically motivated.
Zia was allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment only after Hasina was removed from power in early 2025. She was released from custody in January following mass protests that forced Hasina into exile in India.
Despite her declining health, the BNP announced in November that Zia would take part in campaigning ahead of the upcoming elections. The party is seeking a return to power, with expectations that her son, Tarique Rahman, could assume a leadership role. Rahman returned to Bangladesh last week after 17 years in exile in London.
Tributes poured in following her death. Interim leader Muhammad Yunus described Zia as a “symbol of the democratic movement” and praised her role in shaping multi-party politics in Bangladesh. Former rival Sheikh Hasina, speaking from exile, said Zia’s contributions to the nation would be remembered, calling her death a major loss to the country’s political life.
Leaders from the region also reacted. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened and acknowledged Zia’s role in strengthening Bangladesh and its ties with India. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described her as a committed friend of Pakistan whose legacy would endure.
Zia died surrounded by family members, including her son, his wife and daughter, according to the BNP, which called on supporters to pray for her soul.
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