Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a central figure in the country’s political history, has died at 80 after a prolonged illness, her party confirmed on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
She passed away around 6 a.m. at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she had been receiving treatment for serious health complications.
Born on August 15, 1945, as Khaleda Khanam, she entered politics after the 1981 assassination of her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman.
Zia took leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1984 and emerged as a prominent opponent of military rule in the 1980s.
In 1991, she became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, leading the country in its first fully competitive election and helping steer its transition from a presidential to a parliamentary system.
She served two terms as prime minister, from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006, and became one of the earliest women to lead a Muslim-majority democracy.
Her political life was closely intertwined with that of Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League.
Their intense rivalry shaped Bangladeshi politics for decades. Zia’s time in office saw both economic and social reforms as well as persistent controversy and criticism from opponents.
In later years, Zia battled multiple health issues including liver, heart, lung, kidney, and other age-related complications.
She was admitted to Evercare Hospital in late November after her condition worsened and remained under intensive medical care until her death.
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Following her passing, the BNP announced a seven-day mourning period. Black flags will be flown at party offices nationwide and condolence books opened for public tribute.
Bangladesh’s interim government has declared three days of national mourning and announced a general holiday on the day of her funeral, with prayers expected to be held at Parliament South Plaza before her burial.
Zia is survived by her sons, including Tarique Rahman, the acting chair of the BNP, who returned from exile this year and is widely expected to lead the party in upcoming elections.
Her death marks the close of a defining chapter in Bangladesh’s modern political history.