Desk Correspondent , Dhaka - On December 30, 2025, Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away at age 80. The BNP chairperson died at 6:00 a.m. at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital following a month-long battle with complex health issues, including liver cirrhosis and pneumonia. Her passing marks the end of a political era, prompting three days of national mourning and tributes from global leaders who recognized her as a defining figure in South Asian history.

Before becoming the "uncompromising leader" who dominated Bangladeshi politics for four decades, Khaleda Zia’s journey began in a far more reserved setting. She was born Khaleda Khanam Putul on August 15, 1945, in Jalpaiguri (then part of British India). Her family migrated to Dinajpur following the 1947 Partition, where she grew up as the third of five children in a family known locally as the "Tea Family." In 1960, while still a student, she married a young, charismatic army officer named Ziaur Rahman. For the first two decades of her adult life, she lived as a devoted housewife and mother to two sons, largely staying in the shadow of her husband as he rose to become the President of Bangladesh.

The pivot from domestic life to political titan was born of tragedy. Following her husband’s assassination in 1981, Khaleda was thrust into the leadership of the BNP to prevent the party from fracturing. She spent the 1980s on the front lines of street protests against military rule, eventually making history in 1991 as the country's first woman Prime Minister. Over three separate terms, she oversaw the transition to a parliamentary democracy and spearheaded massive educational reforms for girls. Though her later years were defined by a bitter rivalry with Sheikh Hasina and a decade of legal battles and house arrest, her release in late 2024 allowed her to witness her party’s resurgence one last time. From her birth in the twilight of the British Raj to her death as a national guardian, Khaleda Zia’s life mirrored the turbulent, resilient spirit of Bangladesh itself.