Bangladesh’s First Female PM Khaleda Zia Died

● On December 30, 2025 the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia passed away after a prolonged illness. She was the second female Prime Minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.

● Khaleda Zia was born on 15 August 1945 in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.

Political Career

● Khaleda Zia came into politics after the assassination of her husband Zia-ur-Rahman, former President of Bangladesh in 1981. She became the chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1984. She played a key role in restoring democracy in Bangladesh in the early 1990s after military rule.

● She served as prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006. During her tenure, she brought back the parliamentary system of government and introduced the caretaker government system to ensure free and fair elections.

● In 2018, Zia was found guilty in a corruption case related to misappropriating funds meant for orphans and sent to jail for 10 years. Zia remained under house arrest for years, while her health began to deteriorate. But in 2024, after Hasina’s fall during a major popular uprising (Gez Z Movement), she was freed from years of house arrest. In November 2024, she was acquitted in the corruption cases.

Khaleda Zia’s approach towards India

● Khaleda Zia was often viewed as not pro-India due to her conservative and cautious approach toward bilateral relations with India.

● During her tenure as Prime Minister, she opposed granting transit rights to India through Bangladeshi territory, arguing that it could undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty and security. She strongly criticised India’s Farakka Barrage, claiming it deprived Bangladesh of its fair share of river waters and harmed its economy.

● Khaleda Zia also questioned the 1972 Indo-Bangladesh Friendship Treaty, describing it as restrictive to Bangladesh’s independence.

● Her close political alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami and allegations that anti-India elements operated freely from Bangladesh during BNP rule further strained India-Bangladesh relations.

Tarique Rahman, son of the late Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) returned to Bangladesh, following 17 years of self imposed exile in London. He is regarded as the BNP’s leading contender for the prime ministerial candidacy in the forthcoming 2026 Bangladesh General Elections. His approach is liberal and secular.