Bangladesh

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's First Female Prime Minister, Dies

Was Khaleda Zia a principled democratic leader, or did her governance failures undermine her legacy?

DEC 30 2025·Updated FEB 11

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's First Female Prime Minister, Dies

Story

Above: Khaleda Zia addresses supporters in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Jan. 5, 2015. Image credit: Khurshad Alam Rinku/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Facts

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. She had been battling multiple health complications for years, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, heart disease and kidney problems.
Dhakatribune
WFXG FOX 54
Financial Times
Zia married General Ziaur Rahman in 1960, who became a central figure in Bangladesh's independence war from Pakistan in 1971 and later served as president before being assassinated in a military coup in 1981. She entered politics shortly after his death and assumed leadership of the BNP in 1984.
NDTV
The New York Times
Financial Times
Zia was first elected prime minister in 1991 after leading her party to victory in the country's first democratic election in 20 years. She served three terms in office, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006.
The Times of India
BBC News
Dw.Com
Zia was jailed in 2018 on corruption charges, and her sentence was later increased from five to 10 years. She was released from house arrest last year after Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a popular uprising and fled to India; nearly a dozen legal cases against her were subsequently dropped.
WFXG FOX 54
Financial Times
The Hindu
Zia's decades-long rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's founding president, defined the country's politics. The two women alternated between government and opposition; their bitter feud earned them the label "the battling Begums."
NDTV
The New York Times
India Today
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed condolences, calling Zia a "symbol of the democratic movement" and stating the nation had lost "a great guardian." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered condolences, noting her contributions to Bangladesh's development and India-Bangladesh relations.
BBC News
Dhakatribune
Narendra Modi on X

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Khaleda Zia's legacy stands as a testament to principled resistance over political expediency. She boycotted sham elections when rivals capitulated, stepped aside when legitimacy demanded it and refused power-sharing deals that would have compromised democratic frameworks. Her solitary imprisonment and years of persecution never broke her resolve, proving that true leadership means standing firm against authoritarian pressure rather than bending for survival.

The Daily Star

Zulkarnain Saer Khan on X

Narrative B

Khaleda Zia's uncompromising style masked serious governance failures that undermined her democratic credentials. Her administrations faced corruption allegations, a devastating fertilizer crisis that killed farmers and credible accusations of electoral manipulation. The 2004 grenade attack investigation stalled under her watch, illegal weapons shipments embarrassed the nation and her son's parallel power center raised questions about who actually governed Bangladesh during her tenure.