DHAKA: Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and senior political leader Khaleda Zia has passed away at the age of 80.
Khaleda Zia had been suffering from multiple health complications, including a serious liver condition, and had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Dhaka for a prolonged period. She passed away at around 6:00 a.m. local time.
A day earlier, doctors had described her condition as critical. Member of the medical board, Dr. Ziaul Haque, stated that Khaleda Zia had been placed on life support and was undergoing regular dialysis.
He explained that whenever dialysis was paused, her condition deteriorated significantly. Due to her advanced age and multiple complex illnesses, treating all conditions simultaneously had become extremely difficult.
Khaleda Zia was one of Bangladesh’s most prominent political figures. She served as Prime Minister twice, first from 1991 to 1996, and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the second woman Prime Minister in the Muslim world, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto.
She was the wife of former Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman and led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for decades. During her political career, she faced several corruption charges and was sentenced to five years in prison in 2018.
Khaleda Zia also had a long-standing political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina Wajed, leader of the Awami League. Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down from power last year following political developments in the country.
It is noteworthy that Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, recently returned to Bangladesh after 17 years of exile, just days before her passing.
His return comes at a time when the country is preparing for important national elections. Tarique Rahman had moved to the United Kingdom in 2008 after serving 18 months in prison, citing medical treatment and other reasons.
Comments are closed.