Begum Khaleda Zia, the Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the country's first female Prime Minister, has passed away. She breathed her last at 6:00 AM on Tuesday (December 30).

The news was confirmed through separate posts on the BNP's verified Facebook page and the BNP Media Cell’s official page.

The veteran leader had been suffering from various age-related complications for a long time, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney issues. On November 23, she was rushed to Evercare Hospital in the capital after experiencing breathing difficulties. She was under the close supervision of a medical board comprising local and foreign specialists. Although initiatives were taken to fly her abroad for advanced treatment, it was not possible due to her critical physical condition.

A Pioneering Political Icon

Begum Khaleda Zia served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh three times since 1991. She was the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the second elected female head of government in the Muslim world.

Born on August 15, 1945, in Dinajpur to Iskandar Majumder and Taiyaba Majumder, she attended Dinajpur Government Girls' High School and later Surendranath College. In 1960, she married Ziaur Rahman, who later became the President of Bangladesh and a war hero (Bir Uttam).

As First Lady, she accompanied President Zia on various state visits, meeting prominent global leaders including UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.

Leadership and Legacy

Following the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman in 1981, she formally entered politics by joining the BNP as a general member on January 2, 1982. She was elected Vice-Chairman of the party in March 1983 and became the Chairperson in August 1984.

Her political career was marked by immense popularity and an undefeated electoral record. In the general elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001, she contested from five separate constituencies and won all of them. Even in the 2008 election, she secured victory in all three seats she contested.

Her passing marks the end of an era in Bangladeshi politics, leaving behind a legacy of uncompromising leadership.