Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passes away at age 80

Bangladesh’s First Female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Passes Away at 80

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, has died at the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 80 years old.

According to her party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda passed away on Tuesday morning at 6am local time. The BNP released a statement expressing their condolences and requesting prayers for her soul.

Khaleda had been admitted to the hospital on November 23 with symptoms of a lung infection. Her doctors confirmed that she suffered from advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, and chest and heart problems.

The interim leader of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, had asked people to pray for Khaleda during her final days, describing her as an “inspiration” for the nation.

Khaleda was jailed in 2018 under then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, who also blocked her from traveling abroad for medical treatment. She was released last year after Hasina was forced from power.

In November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia for her role in a deadly crackdown on student protesters who toppled her government. With Hasina now in exile in India, Khaleda’s death marks the end of a nearly three-decade-long chapter in Bangladeshi politics.

Khaleda was born on August 15, 1946, in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. She married army officer Ziaur Rahman in 1960 and later became involved in politics after her husband’s assassination in 1981. Khaleda led the BNP to victory in the 1990 general election, becoming the country’s first female prime minister.

Khaleda’s legacy is complex, with both supporters and critics describing her as a polarizing figure who fought for democracy against authoritarianism. She implemented various policies during her tenure, including lifting restrictions on foreign investment and making primary education compulsory and free.

Khaleda’s death closes a significant chapter in Bangladeshi politics, marking the end of a nearly three-decade-long rivalry with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Source: Al Jazeera