Khaleda Zia, First Female Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Passes Away at 80

Khaleda Zia Dies After Prolonged Suffering

Initial reports of the death of Khaleda Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh, were announced by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Facebook. "Our beloved leader is no longer with us. She left us this morning at 6 AM," stated the post.

Doctors had declared her condition "extremely critical" the previous evening. Although she was placed on life support, it was not possible to provide multiple treatments due to her age and deteriorating overall health.

Khaleda Zia first became the leader of the government in Bangladesh in 1991, after her party, BNP, won the first democratic elections in two decades. She returned to the office of prime minister in 2001, resigning in October 2006 ahead of the general elections.

Her political career was marked by allegations of corruption and a long-standing rivalry with Awami Party leader Sheikh Hasina. Zia, who was the wife of former president Ziaur Rahman, was imprisoned for five years in 2018 on corruption charges.