Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman PM, dies at 80
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, […]
