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Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first woman leader, dies aged 80
Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia has died in Dhaka at the age of 80 after months of declining health. Once described as a "shy housewife," Zia rose to become the country's first female leader and a defining figure in its political history.
From private life to political power
Born in 1945 in Dinajpur, then part of British India, Zia married army officer Ziaur Rahman at 15. Her husband later became a key figure in Bangladesh's 1971 independence struggle and served as president from 1977 until his assassination in 1981. His presidency was marked by political liberalization but also by violent unrest, including attempted coups and mass executions within the military.
Following her husband's killing in Chittagong, Zia-then 36 and a widow-stepped into the public sphere. She joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which her husband had founded, and quickly rose to become its vice-chairman in 1982.
Defiance under military rule
The same year Zia entered politics, Bangladesh fell under nine years of military dictatorship after army chief Hossain Mohammad Ershad seized power. Zia became a vocal opponent of the regime, leading boycotts of its controlled elections and enduring repeated house arrests. Her resistance earned her the nickname "uncompromising leader" among supporters.
After the military government collapsed in 1990, Zia led the BNP to victory in the first post-dictatorship elections. She was sworn in as prime minister in 1991, becoming the first woman to lead Bangladesh and only the second elected female leader of a Muslim-majority country.
Two terms, reform, and rivalry
Zia's first term restored Bangladesh's parliamentary system and introduced free, mandatory primary education. However, she lost the 1996 election to her long-time rival, Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League.
In 2001, Zia returned to power in a landslide, forming an alliance with Islamist parties that secured nearly two-thirds of parliamentary seats. Her second term focused on women's rights, including quotas for female MPs and expanded education access in a country where 70% of women were illiterate at the time.
Her government's ties to Islamist groups, however, drew criticism and fueled political tensions that persisted long after her term ended in 2006.
Legal battles and imprisonment
After leaving office, Zia and Hasina were both swept up in a military-backed crackdown on corruption. In 2008, Zia was arrested on extortion charges, while Hasina faced similar accusations. Though Zia later regained some freedoms, she lost parliamentary representation after the BNP boycotted the 2014 election.
In 2018, she was convicted of embezzling $252,000 from an orphanage trust established during her premiership. Sentenced to five years in prison, Zia became the sole inmate of Dhaka's abandoned central jail. She maintained her innocence, calling the charges politically motivated.
Due to declining health-including arthritis, diabetes, and later liver cirrhosis and kidney damage-she was moved to hospital in 2019 and later placed under house arrest on humanitarian grounds.
Acquittal and final months
Zia's fortunes shifted dramatically in 2024 when mass protests toppled Hasina's government. The interim administration that followed ordered Zia's release, unfroze her bank accounts, and acquitted her of outstanding convictions. By then, her health had deteriorated significantly.
In January 2025, she traveled to London for medical treatment but returned to Dhaka in December. She died in the early hours of 30 December, surrounded by family.
Legacy and succession
Zia is survived by her elder son, Tarique Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in late December after years in exile in London. Tarique, widely seen as the BNP's de facto leader, is considered a frontrunner to succeed his mother as the party's standard-bearer. Her younger son, Arafat Rahman, died in 2015.
"She was a symbol of resilience for millions of Bangladeshis, especially women, who saw in her a leader who could challenge the status quo," said a political analyst in Dhaka.
