First Female PM Of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia Dies At 80

Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, passed away on Tuesday, due to prolonged illness. She was 80.

The chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) breathed her last at 6 am on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by her party.

In a statement, the party said, "The BNP Chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6:00 am, just after the Fajr (dawn) prayer."

"We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul," it added.

Zia was undergoing treatment at Dhaka's Evercare Hospital since Nov. 23 for multiple health complications.

On December 11, she was placed on “ventilator support to give rest to her lungs and other vital organs."

"It cannot be said that her condition has improved. She is passing through an extremely critical phase,” Dr AZM Zahid said during a briefing held shortly after midnight on Saturday outside Evercare Hospital, without prior notice. He also urged the nation to pray for Zia's recovery, news portal bdnews24.com reported.

“If, by Allah’s mercy, she can get through this critical period, we may hear something positive,” Zahid said.

Her son and BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman spent more than two hours at the hospital before leaving shortly before midnight, party members said.

Both local and foreign physicians were involved in Zia's care.

The BNP has previously indicated that it would prefer Zia to be taken abroad for advanced medical treatment. However, her physical condition did not allow for air travel.

Zia, a central figure in the nation's history, she led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and served two terms (1991–1996 and 2001–2006). Known as the "uncompromising leader," she was instrumental in the 1990 pro-democracy movement. Her legacy remains defined by her fierce political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina.

(with PTI inputs)