30/12/2025
A long, diverse and eventful chapter in Bangladeshi politics has come to an end. BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is no more. She passed away at 6 am Bangladesh time on Tuesday (December 30) while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Bashundhara, the capital. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. Although she left this world at the age of 80, she left an indelible mark on the politics of modern Bangladesh. Born on August 15, 1945, Khaleda Zia entered politics as the wife of martyred President Ziaur Rahman, but over time she established herself with her own leadership, determination and organizational capabilities. She played an important role in re-establishing parliamentary democracy in the country by taking charge as Prime Minister for the first time through the fifth parliamentary election in 1991. She became Prime Minister for the second time for a short period after the one-sided election in February 1996 and for the third time in 2001 with a huge victory of the four-party alliance. Her three-term rule is considered a discussed, criticized and at the same time important chapter in the political history of Bangladesh. In her personal life, she was a struggling woman - she did not leave the field of politics despite the grief of losing her husband, political instability, imprisonment, the pain of losing her child and long-term physical illness. She suffered from various complications including liver, kidney, heart disease, diabetes for a long time and finally passed away while undergoing treatment. The death of Begum Khaleda Zia created a void in Bangladeshi politics, which will not be easily filled. History will remember her as a strong political leader, a symbol of opposition politics and an important face of the democratic movement.
