Khaleda Zia, two-time Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson, dies at 80 after prolonged battle with liver and other illnesses.
First female PM of Bangladesh; led anti-military movements and served 1991–96 and 2001–06.
State funeral announced; three-day mourning by BNP; tributes pour in from across the political divide.
Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and one of the country’s most enduring political icons, died on December 30, 2025, at the age of 80. She passed away at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she had been receiving treatment for advanced liver cirrhosis, diabetes, heart complications and other age-related illnesses.
Her health had been deteriorating steadily since mid-2023, with multiple hospitalisations and critical phases. During the Awami League government, her family repeatedly sought permission for medical treatment abroad, which was denied. After the political change in August 2024, she continued treatment in Dhaka but her condition remained fragile.
Born on 15 August 1945 in Dinajpur, Khaleda Zia entered politics after the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981. She became BNP Chairperson in 1984 and led the party through two terms as Prime Minister (1991–1996 and 2001–2006). She was the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the second-longest serving after Sheikh Hasina. Her political career was defined by mass movements against military rule, the restoration of multi-party democracy, and a fierce rivalry with Sheikh Hasina that shaped Bangladesh politics for decades.
Her governments oversaw major infrastructure projects (including the Jamuna Bridge) and economic liberalisation, though they also faced allegations of corruption and political vendetta. She spent much of the last decade under house arrest or medical supervision during the Awami League rule.
Following her death, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman declared a three-day mourning period. Acting Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced a state funeral with full honours. Leaders from across the political spectrum, including the Awami League, Jatiya Party and other groups, expressed condolences and acknowledged her role in Bangladesh’s democratic journey.
Supporters gathered outside her Gulshan residence and at the BNP headquarters in Naya Paltan, while flags flew at half-mast across government buildings and political offices nationwide.
