Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh Ex-PM, Dies

Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Bangladesh — Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), died at the age of 80 on December 30, 2025, after a prolonged illness. She had been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital Dhaka for multiple serious health complications, including heart, lung, liver, and kidney ailments, diabetes, and pneumonia. Her death marks the end of a significant political era in Bangladesh, where she served as the country's first woman prime minister for two terms (1991-1996 and 2001-2006) and was a long-time political rival of Sheikh Hasina. Zia's political career began after her husband, Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in 1981, leading her to take charge of the Bangladesh — Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1984. She was a key figure in the movement to restore democracy against military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad. In later years, Khaleda Zia faced multiple corruption cases, which her party claimed were politically motivated. She was jailed in 2018 but granted temporary release in 2020 due to illness. In January 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted her in the final corruption case, potentially clearing her path for a political return. Following Sheikh Hasina's ouster in 2024, an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus allowed Zia to travel abroad for advanced treatment. Her death comes just days after her elder son and BNP's acting chairperson, Tarique Rahman, returned to Bangladesh from 17 years of self-imposed exile, positioning him to lead the party into the upcoming general elections.