DHAKA: Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a central figure in the country’s politics whose long-standing rivalry with Sheikh Hasina shaped a generation, has passed away at the age of 80.
Zia, a prominent and often polarizing leader since Bangladesh’s independence 50 years ago, was mourned across the nation following the announcement of her death on Tuesday morning by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
She was the widow of former president and military leader Ziaur Rahman, who played a key role in the country’s democratic struggle but was assassinated in a military coup in 1981. Khaleda Zia took up her husband’s political legacy and quickly became known for her steadfast opposition to military rule, gaining a devoted following.
Zia first assumed office as prime minister in 1991, serving until 1996, and later had a brief second term. Her tenure was marked by intense political battles with Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the opposition at the time, who would remain her fiercest political rival for the next three decades.
Over the past 30 years, Zia and Hasina alternated in power, with each administration facing challenges and allegations against the other. Zia’s 2001 government faced criticism over corruption, and after Hasina returned to power in 2009, Zia was charged in multiple legal cases.
Inputs from The Guardian
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