Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the passing of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, stating that her contributions to Bangladesh’s progress and to India–Bangladesh relations would be remembered for years to come. He said her vision and political legacy would continue to serve as a guiding force in shaping bilateral ties between the two neighbours.
In a post shared on social media, Prime Minister Modi recalled his meeting with Zia during his visit to Dhaka in 2015 and shared photographs from that interaction. He wrote that as Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, Khaleda Zia made significant contributions to the country’s development and played an important role in strengthening relations between India and Bangladesh. He added that her leadership and long public service would remain an enduring part of the region’s political history.
Khaleda Zia passed away at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. She had been suffering from multiple health complications, including ailments related to the heart, liver and kidneys, as well as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and recurrent infections. Over the past several years, she had undergone long periods of hospitalisation due to her deteriorating health.
A towering figure in Bangladeshi politics, Zia played a central role in restoring democracy after years of military rule and remained one of the country’s most influential political leaders for more than three decades. Her political career was marked by dramatic shifts — from leading elected governments and commanding mass support to facing corruption convictions and eventually receiving a presidential pardon.
Zia’s entry into politics was not planned. She was thrust into public life after the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in a failed military coup on May 30, 1981. Until then, she had largely stayed away from politics, known primarily as the spouse of a military leader-turned-president. Following his death, she gradually assumed leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, becoming its chairperson in 1984 — a position she held until her passing.
Her principal political rival throughout her career was Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League, with the rivalry between the two leaders dominating Bangladesh’s political landscape for decades. After the fall of military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1990, Zia led the BNP to victory in the 1991 elections, becoming prime minister after the restoration of parliamentary democracy. She also earned distinction as the second woman to lead a Muslim-majority country, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto.
Born on August 15, 1946, in Dinajpur district of undivided India, Khaleda Zia leaves behind a complex and lasting legacy. Her life and career shaped modern Bangladesh in profound ways, leaving an imprint that continues to influence the nation’s politics and its relations with neighbouring countries.
