Khaleda Zia passes away in Dhaka after prolonged illness
BNP leader remained victim of political vendetta under pro-India Hasina regime
Dhaka: Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away early Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness, marking the end of a turbulent political era in the country.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the BNP confirmed that Khaleda Zia breathed her last at around 6:00 am local time, shortly after the Fajr prayer, while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. The party announced her death through statements posted on its official social media platforms, expressing grief and appealing to supporters to pray for the departed leader.
The BNP said Khaleda Zia had been battling multiple serious health conditions for years, including heart disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, kidney complications and arthritis.
Her death comes at a politically sensitive moment, with Bangladesh heading toward national elections scheduled for February 2026 and amid heightened political uncertainty following last year’s mass uprising and the subsequent fall of pro-India Sheikh Hasina’s government. The passing of Khaleda Zia is being seen as a major political development, particularly for the BNP, which has been seeking to regroup after years of repression.
Khaleda Zia served as Bangladesh’s prime minister twice and was the country’s first woman to hold the office. However, much of her later life was overshadowed by imprisonment, legal cases and severe restrictions, which her party and independent observers described as part of a systematic campaign of political victimisation orchestrated by the pro-India Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina Wajid.
Khaleda Zia remained a consistent critic of Indian influence in Bangladesh’s internal affairs and was known for advocating balanced regional relations, including closer ties with Pakistan. Her political stance and resistance to New Delhi’s dominance made her a prime target of Sheikh Hasina’s regime, which aligned closely with India. Rights groups and political analysts have long maintained that the cases against Khaleda Zia were aimed at eliminating her from politics and crippling the BNP.
