Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and one of its most formidable political figures, died on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, after days of battling an illness. She was 80. Her party announced the tragic news of demise on its social media page, saying she passed away at around 6 am this morning, right after the Fajr prayers.
“We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul,” the BNP said in a post on its Facebook page.
Khaleda Zia: Early life, politics
Zia went on to make history in 1991 when she became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, leading the country after the restoration of parliamentary democracy. She served a second term from 2001 to 2006.
She is survived by her elder son, Tarique Rahman, along with his wife Zubaida Rahman and their daughter Zaima Rahman. Tarique returned to Bangladesh on December 25 after spending 17 years in exile and is currently the BNP’s acting chairman. He is also a frontrunner in upcoming Bangladesh elections. Her younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko, passed away several years ago in Malaysia.
However, her political journey began not by choice but by tragedy. She entered public life after the assassination of her husband, Ziaur Rahman, who served as Bangladesh’s president from 1977 to 1981 and founded the BNP in 1978. Rahman was killed in a military coup in 1981.
In the years that followed, Zia emerged as a key figure in the movement against military rule. She played a central role in mobilising opposition to the regime of military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who was finally ousted in 1990.
Her principal political rival through much of her career was Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Awami League. The two women dominated Bangladesh’s politics for decades, with their rivalry shaping elections, governments, and street politics alike.
A long battle with illness
Zia had been unwell for years, with her health steadily deteriorating. She frequently travelled abroad for medical treatment and, most recently, had returned to Dhaka in May this year after undergoing care in the United Kingdom.
According to her doctors cited by Reuters news agency, Zia had been battling multiple health issues, including advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, and chest and heart-related problems.
Her failing health had also shaped the final phase of her political life. In 2018, she was jailed following a corruption conviction, a case she said was politically motivated. Two years later, in 2020, the Awami League government led by her long-time rival Sheikh Hasina suspended her prison sentence on medical grounds, placing her under house arrest and barring her from travelling abroad or taking part in politics.
It was only after Hasina’s ouster from power that those restrictions eased. In early January this year, Bangladesh’s interim government allowed Zia to travel overseas for treatment, after her earlier requests had reportedly been rejected at least 18 times by the Awami league.
Legal struggles
Even after stepping back from active politics due to illness, Zia remained entangled in legal battles. She consistently described the corruption cases against her as politically driven.
In January 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted her in the last remaining corruption case. The verdict would have cleared the way for her to contest the general election scheduled for February.