Khaleda Zia, The First Female PM of Bangladesh, Passes Away At 80

By Aditya Nagar | December 30, 2025

Khaleda Zia, the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh, passed away at the age of 80 on Tuesday morning. Her death came as sad news for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to her family on her demise.

What Caused the Demise of Bangladesh's Former PM, Khaleda Zia

The cause of Khaleda Zia’s death was serious health problems. She was diagnosed with arthritis, diabetes, cardiac disease, and liver disease.

Khaleda died shortly after morning prayers around 6:00 AM. Her funeral will take place in the capital city, Dhaka, on Wednesday.

She is survived by her son Tariq, who recently returned to Bangladesh. He was living abroad for 17 years.

Khaleda Zia's Political History in Brief

Looking back at Khaleda Zia’s history, she served as the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996, and again from 2001 to 2006.

She was married to Ziaur Rahman, the former president and military leader of Bangladesh. During her political career, she restored the parliamentary system and initiated a caretaker government to manage fair elections.

Besides her poor health conditions, Khaleda also struggled with legal matters. In 2018, the court convicted her in a 2008 corruption case.

Initially, she was imprisoned for 10 years, but in 2020, when her political rival, Sheikh Haseena, was ousted from power, she was released from house arrest.

The Awami League leader suspended her prison term due to her poor health, and with the condition that she must not travel abroad and avoid political participation.

Later, Bangladesh’s highest court cleared her of all charges. Her party members always defended her. According to them, the charges levied on her were false and politically staged.

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Khaleda Zia Passed Away! who is Khaleda Zia

BNP and Awami League Rivalry in Bangladesh

Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are two major political parties in Bangladesh.

These parties are led by two political rivals - Sheikh Haseena (AL) and Khaleda Zia (BNP).

Since the 1970s, both parties have remained in a prolonged conflict over elections, governance, public life, disputes over fairness, corruption charges, and legal matters.

Their rivalry has resulted in ongoing protests, caretaker governments, and strikes.

However, despite strife, both parties have remained in central power in Bangladesh’s democracy.

Khaleda Zia's India Relations

Khaleda Zia, the former Bangladesh PM, had a complex relationship with India.

Even though she cooperated on trade relations and regional issues, she disagreed on water-sharing, migration, and border security.

In comparison to her rival, Sheikh Haseena, Khaleda followed a nationalist approach to India.

Amid political tensions, she acknowledged India’s importance for Bangladesh’s security and economy.

To maintain this, she even held conversations with Indian leaders and aimed to build an operational partnership with India over regional stability, trade, and connectivity.

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FAQs

Q1: Who was Bangladesh's first prime minister?

A: Tajuddin Ahmad was the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Q2: Who was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh?

A: Khaleda Zia served as the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996, and again from 2001 to 2006.

Q3: How many years old is she?

A: Khaleda Zia was 80 years old. She died on December 30, 2025, shortly after her morning prayers.

Q4: What was her opinion about Bangladesh's current government?

A: Khaleda was against Bangladesh’s current government. According to her, it obstructed democracy and affected fair elections.

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