Khaleda Zia, who became Bangladesh's first female prime minister in 1991, has died at the age of 80 after a long illness, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced. Zia had faced health challenges including advanced cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, and heart problems, and spent several months in London for treatment earlier this year.
Fierce political rivalry with Sheikh Hasin
Zia rose to prominence after the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981, taking leadership of the BNP and helping lead a popular movement that toppled military rule in 1990. She went on to develop a fierce political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh's founding father, resulting in decades of alternating governance, street protests, and political clashes.
During her tenure, Zia oversaw Bangladesh's transition from a presidential to a parliamentary system, promoted foreign investment, and expanded free primary education. She won re-election in 1996 and again in 2001, though her second term faced challenges from Islamist militancy and corruption allegations. Her government was widely criticized for its handling of a 2004 grenade attack on Hasina, which killed over 20 people and injured hundreds.
Impact on Bangladesh's turbulent political landscape
Despite being out of office since 2006, jailed and placed under house arrest at times, Zia and her party continued to wield influence. Her son, Tarique Rahman, recently returned to Bangladesh after years in exile and is expected to play a major role in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Zia's legacy is marked by her historic role as a female leader in a Muslim-majority nation and her enduring impact on Bangladesh's turbulent political landscape, where her rivalry with Hasina came to define an era of power struggles and reform efforts.