Bangladesh’s three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia, who hoped to lead her nation one last time after elections next year, died on Tuesday aged 80. “Unite the party and prepare to lead,” Zia had urged BNP members earlier this year. Hasina later dominated, ruling from 2008 until her violent downfall in 2024. Rahman, known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, returned from exile in London on December 25, after fleeing what he called politically motivated persecution in 2008. His image is displayed alongside his mother’s on party banners, offering a potential new chapter in Bangladesh’s enduring political saga.

Source: The Patriot December 30, 2025 08:30 UTC