Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister Khaleda Zia, who, along with former PM Sheikh Hasina, shaped the country’s politics in the last 35 years, passed away Tuesday at the age of 80. After her husband’s assassination in 1981, she joined politics and came to lead the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1984. This was during India’s then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s first visit to Dhaka, and Zia also met her. Her son Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka on December 25, as her health condition deteriorated in the last few weeks. While her legacy is contested, her party, the BNP, appears poised to lead in the Bangladesh elections in February 2026.

Source: Indian Express December 30, 2025 17:15 UTC