Bangladesh's First Woman Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Dies At 80 After Prolonged Illness

Last Updated:December 30, 2025, 07:42 IST

Khaleda Zia died at the age of 80 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Dhaka. She had been in critical condition for weeks and was on ventilator support.

BNP activists gather near a poster of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, during a rally in Dhaka (File photo: AFP)

Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister and Bangladesh ist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia died on Tuesday at the age of 80, her party said in a statement.

“BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is no more," an official statement issued by the BNP chairperson’s press wing read.

According to the statement, Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister, passed away at 6.00 am on December 30, 2025, while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, Dhaka.

The news of her death was confirmed by her personal physician and BNP Standing Committee member Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.

The BNP said several family members, senior party leaders and doctors were present at the hospital at the time of her death.

Those present included her eldest son and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, granddaughter Zaima Rahman, her younger son’s wife Sharmili Rahman Sithi, her younger brother Shamim Eskander and his wife, elder sister Selina Islam, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and members of the medical board formed to oversee her treatment.

The party added that the schedule for Khaleda Zia’s funeral prayers (janaza) would be announced later.

Khaleda Zia had been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple health complications.

Earlier this month, her doctors had described her condition as “extremely critical."

On December 11, she was placed on ventilator support “to give rest to her lungs and other vital organs," her personal physician had said during a briefing outside the hospital.

“It cannot be said that her condition has improved. She is passing through an extremely critical phase," Dr Zahid had told reporters at the time, urging people across the country to pray for her recovery.

He had added that any positive development would depend on her ability to survive the critical period.

Both local and foreign physicians were involved in Khaleda Zia’s treatment, with her daughter-in-law, Dr Zubaida Rahman, also actively participating in the medical process.

The BNP had previously stated that it preferred she be taken abroad for advanced medical care, but doctors had indicated that her physical condition did not permit air travel, necessitating continued treatment in Dhaka.

Her death comes just days after her son Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh from London, where he had been living in self-exile since 2008.

Tarique had visited his ailing mother at the hospital, marking their first reunion on Bangladeshi soil in more than 17 years, according to media reports.

His return drew large crowds of party supporters and was seen as a significant moment for the BNP ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Khaleda Zia, the widow of former President Ziaur Rahman, remained one of the most prominent and polarising figures in Bangladeshi politics.

As BNP chairperson and a former Prime Minister, she played a central role in shaping the country’s political discourse over several decades.

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