Bangladesh: Former PM Khaleda Zia dies at 80; PM Modi mourns her death
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose archrivalry with former premier Sheikh Hasina shaped the country’s politics for decades, passed away on Tuesday, aged 80, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said.
As the country’s first woman PM, she played a pivotal role in restoring democracy after years of military rule and remained a dominant force in national life despite prolonged illness, the media reported.
“My mother is no more,” her elder son and BNP acting Chairman Trique Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh after 17 years recently, said. He is now tipped to be the BNP’s prime ministerial candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections on February 12.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over Zia’s death.
In a post on X, he noted that as the first woman Prime Minister, Zia’s important contributions towards the development of Bangladesh, as well as India-Bangladesh relations, will always be remembered. “I recall my warm meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015. We hope that her vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership. May her soul rest in peace,” he wrote.
Her personal physician, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said she breathed her last early on Tuesday while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Her party confirmed that she had passed away at 6:00 am local time, “just after Fajr prayer.”
BNP officials said the former PM’s funeral prayer was expected to be held on Wednesday at Dhaka Manik Mia Avenue in front of the Parliament Complex.
In his condolence message, Bangladesh Interim Government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said he was “deeply saddened and grief-stricken” by the passing of Zia, noting that the nation had lost not just a political leader but a towering stateswoman who represented an important chapter in the country’s history.
Pakistan and China also expressed deep sorrow over the death of Zia and paid tribute to her political legacy and role in shaping the country’s democratic journey.
Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 for routine tests, during which doctors detected a chest infection and decided to keep her under observation. Her condition worsened on November 27, prompting her transfer to the hospital’s Coronary Care Unit (CCU).
Zia had been suffering from multiple complex and chronic health conditions, including liver and kidney complications, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and infection-related problems. She last appeared in public on November 21 when she joined the Armed Forces Day reception at Dhaka Cantonment.
Earlier this year she was treated at a London hospital.
