Khaleda Zia no more
Khaleda Zia, born on 15 August 1946, had led the BNP through turbulent decades of politics, imprisonment, and revival.
Highlights
- Khaleda Zia, BNP chairperson and three-time prime minister, passed away at Evercare Hospital
- Death confirmed officially by her personal physician Prof AZM Zahid Hossain
- Family and party leaders including son Tarique Rahman were present at the hospital
- She had been battling multiple serious illnesses and was on life support
- Khaleda Zia was the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh and a major political figure
Khaleda Zia, the BNP chairperson and a three-time prime minister, has passed away. She was 79.
She breathed her last while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital around 6am today (30 December).
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The news of Begum Khaleda Zia's death was confirmed by her personal physician and BNP Standing Committee member, Professor AZM Zahid Hossain, according to a press statement signed by Shamsuddin Didar, press wing officer of the BNP chairperson.
At the time, present at the hospital were Begum Khaleda Zia's elder son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, daughter-in-law Dr Zubaida Rahman, granddaughter Zaima Rahman, younger son's wife Sharmila Rahman Sithi, younger brother Shamim Eskandar and his wife, elder sister Selina Islam, along with other relatives. Also present were BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and all members of the medical board formed for Begum Khaleda Zia's treatment.
Tarique Rahman was seen leaving the premises of the hospital around 11am.
The schedule for the funeral prayers (janaza) of the late Begum Khaleda Zia will be announced later, added Shamsuddin.
People started gathering in front of Evercare Hospital as the news of Khaleda's death spread.
BNP has called a standing committee meeting at 12pm at the chairperson's office in Gulshan, confirmed BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan.
Earlier last night, members of her medical board had said her health condition worsened and became extremely critical.
"Khaleda Zia's condition is extremely critical. She is being kept on life support and is now receiving regular dialysis," said her medical board member Dr Ziaul Haque.
He said whenever the dialysis is stopped, her physical condition worsens significantly. "Due to her advanced age and multiple health complications, it is not possible to provide all treatments at the same time."
Another board member Dr Zafar Iqbal said Khaleda Zia's condition could be described as "critically ill".
Khaleda had been receiving treatment at her home in Gulshan -- since she was released from prison -- for various complications, including liver, kidney and heart-related issues.
She was admitted to Evercare Hospital on 23 November.
Her personal physician Dr Zahid said at the time that she had been admitted for tests on the advice of the medical board. After tests, doctors said she had developed a lung infection.
Khaleda Zia, born on 15 August 1946, had led the BNP through turbulent decades of politics, imprisonment, and revival.
She is known to be the first woman to be elected as the prime minister of Bangladesh and the second in the Muslim world.
Rise in politics
In 1960, she married Ziaur Rahman, who would later become titled Bir Uttam for his glorious role in 1971 Liberation War and the president of Bangladesh. As first lady, she accompanied him through the early years of post-independence nation-building.
Khaleda Zia joined the BNP as a general member on 2 January 1982, following her husband's assassination.
Within two years, she was elected vice-chairman, and in August 1984, she became the chairperson, a position she still holds.
After Ziaur Rahman's death, she took charge of the BNP and began her electoral journey in 1991, becoming an "uncompromising" leader of the anti-autocracy movement that toppled the Ershad regime.
Since then, she has contested from various constituencies and has never lost a seat.
Early life
Khaleda Zia was born to Iskandar Majumder and Taiyaba Majumder in Dinajpur on 15 August 1946.
Although her family originally hails from Feni in the country's southeast, they later settled in Dinajpur, where she spent most of her childhood.
She attended Dinajpur Government Girls High School and later studied at Surendranath College.
Of her two sons, Tarique Rahman, born in 1965, has been the party's de facto leader from exile in London since 2008, directing affairs and addressing party events virtually.
Arafat Rahman, born in 1971, died of cardiac arrest in Malaysia in January 2015, while Khaleda was out of power.
Under her leadership
During her premiership, Bangladesh transitioned into a parliamentary democracy. Economic reforms during her tenure spurred major transformations, particularly in the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, which saw employment growth, bringing more women into the workforce.
Internationally, she raised crucial issues at global forums, including the Ganges water-sharing dispute and the Rohingya refugee crisis.
In 1992, she visited the White House and urged international action, leading to an agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar for Rohingya refugees.
Imprisonment
Khaleda was initially imprisoned on 8 February 2018, when a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to five years in prison for her involvement in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft incident.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence on 25 March 2020, on the condition that she would stay at her Gulshan house and not leave the country.
Since then, her release term has been extended every six months following the family's pleas.
On 6 August last year, Khaleda was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
Since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August this year, several cases filed against Khaleda have been dismissed by the High Court.
