The Sultana passes away, but her dream is passed on to posterity

In "Sultana's Dream," Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932) — a pioneering champion of women's emancipation for Muslim women, Bangali women, and women everywhere — imagined a land ruled entirely by women, without the aid of men. In many ways, 86 years after the publication of her English-language novelette in 1905, Begum Rokeya's homeland gained its own "sultana", a woman ruler, in Begum Khaleda Zia. 

The dream came true in 1991, when Khaleda Zia, following her election victory, became Bangladesh's first female prime minister and head of government.

The patriotic sultana, born in 1945 and shaped by countless storms in both her political career and personal life, passed away in the early morning on Tuesday, 30 December 2025, while undergoing treatment at the age of 80. She left behind an enduring legacy and the dreams she cherished to live on through her posterity.

Khaleda's rise to prominence was never destined, perhaps. It was earned through years of struggle, unexpected twists, and a firm commitment to the people of her homeland. She was a woman whose resolve only deepened each time life tested her limits. Where others faltered, she adapted. Where others feared, she moved forward.

Khaleda Khanam, nicknamed Putul, was married off to a young army officer, Captain Ziaur Rahman, in 1960 at a very young age — a practice quite common in society at the time. Her husband Ziaur Rahman, who later became the chief of army and president of Bangladesh, went to war against India in 1965. 

Zia fought in the Khemkaran sector as a company commander, and his company received the highest number of gallantry awards for its heroic performance. During Bangladesh's liberation, Zia revolted against Pakistan and joined the war, leaving his family behind again. For his heroic role, he was awarded the nation's second-highest gallantry honour, the Bir Uttam. 

After the independence, Zia was appointed first the deputy chief of the army and later the chief. The turmoils of 1975 in the military saw him placed under house arrest, then freed by the soldiers' uprising on 7 November and reinstated as army chief, bringing him to the centre of political power. In 1981, after nearly four years as president, Zia was assassinated in an abortive army coup.

These years of instability — marked by wars, military coups, counter-coups, political turmoil, and personal loss — shaped Khaleda Zia profoundly. These twists and turns strengthened her resilience, preparing her in the process to withstand pressure, confront authoritarianism and remain unbending even in the face of imprisonment and intimidation.

After Ziaur Rahman's death, Khaleda Zia eventually joined the BNP in 1982 at the request of senior leaders, who sought to unite a disjointed party, thus beginning her political struggle. During the anti-Ershad movement, she was detained several times but never gave in. In 1986, when Sheikh Hasina broke her pledge and joined the elections under General HM Ershad, Khaleda Zia held firm. Her leadership of the "Oust Ershad" one-point movement earned her the title "the uncompromising leader."

After Ershad's fall, the BNP won the 1991 elections, making Khaleda Zia the country's first female prime minister. Under her leadership, the party again came to power in 1996 for a brief period and 2001 – three terms in total. She also served as the leader of the opposition and never lost an election she contested.

In the turbulence of the 2007 state of emergency, the BNP plunged into crisis again. Khaleda Zia endured imprisonment and political pressure but resisted efforts to break the party. The BNP suffered a heavy defeat in the 2008 election, and she was later jailed for two years in the controversial "Zia Orphanage" and "Charitable Trust" cases. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's autocratic regime in the 2024 student–public uprising, the Supreme Court acquitted her, describing the cases as vile.

When Khaleda Zia assumed the premiership, the presence of women in the top ranks of Bangladesh's politics was an exception. She demonstrated that a woman could stand at the centre of state governance, withstand the harshest realities of political rivalry and remain at the heart of national political transformations for many years.

In Bangladesh's male-dominated political culture, her premiership marked a major breakthrough, shattering the glass ceiling. As the country's first woman prime minister, she delivered a revolutionary political breakthrough that confronted the long-established social resistance to women's empowerment in modern statehood.

The BNP was founded from within the power structure, but it was Khaleda Zia who later carried the party forward politically, winning the hearts of millions in times of adversity. Khaleda Zia also directly played a pivotal role in advancing the position of women in Bangladesh. 

According to Banglapedia, while in power during 1991–96, Khaleda Zia's government achieved considerable progress in the education sector, including the introduction of free and compulsory primary education, tuition-free education for girls up to class 10, stipends for female students and the Food for Education programme.

In the face of adverse, harsh, and often unfair criticisms as well as indecent remarks from many people, Khaleda Zia always stood tall, becoming an epitome of elegance through her graceful and refined manners. She never retorted; her silence, accompanied by a subtle smile, was her quiet triumph.

Like the "sultana" envisioned by Begum Rokeya, Khaleda Zia was a successful ruler. Khaleda Zia focused on strengthening economic self-reliance, domestic resource mobilisation, and infrastructure development. During her tenure, the local currency was made partially convertible for the first time, while foreign exchange reserves began to strengthen. According to Banglapedia, pragmatic measures reduced reliance on external aid by raising the share of domestic resources in the development budget from 21 per cent to over 40 per cent within five years.

Value Added Tax (VAT) was introduced at the production and import stages in the 1993–94 fiscal year, opening new avenues for mobilising domestic revenue. Bangladesh's international standing was further enhanced by hosting the Seventh Saarc Summit in Dhaka in April 1993, where Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was elected chairperson of the regional forum.

Her two years in prison severely weakened her health and medical complications intensified in her final days. When she was taken to hospital in late November 2025, she was showered with respect and affection from people from all walks of life and political leaders across party lines. Following her death, condolences also poured in from foreign heads of government and state leaders. In the twilight of her life, she emerged as a symbol of national unity – a figure who rose above partisan divisions.

As the nation pauses to reflect on her long journey amid three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday, her perseverance and faith in the people will resonate far beyond her time. Her passing closes a defining chapter in Bangladesh's politics.

Shamim A Zahedy is a journalist. He can be reached at szahedy@yahoo.com.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.