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- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:40 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Khaleda Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and a prominent figure in South Asian politics, breathed her last on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. The death of Khaleda Zia marks the end of an era in Bangladeshi politics, which was marked by rivalry, movement politics, military rule, and the restoration of democracy.
Early Life And India Connection
Khaleda Zia was born as Khaleda Khanam Putul in the year 1945 in the Jalpaiguri region, which is a part of the undivided Dinajpur district of the pre-partition Indian subcontinent. Khaleda Zia has an immense connection to the Indian subcontinent.
Khaleda Zia was born to Iskandar Ali Majumdar, a tea businessman. Khaleda's family migrated to the town of Dinajpur during the time of Partition. She studied at Dinajpur Missionary School and later Dinajpur Girls’ School. Her maternal roots trace back to present-day North Dinajpur in West Bengal, reinforcing her cross-border cultural ties.
In 1960, she married Ziaur Rahman, then an officer in the Pakistan Army. After marriage, she took the name “Zia,” which would later become identified with nationalist politics in Bangladesh.
Reluctant First Lady To Political Heir
Khaleda Zia entered politics through circumstance, not through ambition. She became the First Lady of Bangladesh in 1977, when Ziaur Rahman was appointed president of Bangladesh. She kept herself apolitical and maintained a level of remoteness. However, this changed suddenly after Zia was assassinated in a military coup in 1981.
The tragedy changed Putul to Begum Zia. Putul joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the year 1982 and was appointed as the vice-chairperson within a year of membership. Later on, she came up as a face of resistance against military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
The 1980s saw Khaleda Zia at the forefront of mass movements demanding the reinstatement of democracy. She was arrested several times; however, she did not step back. This pressure made Ershad resign in 1990, paving the way for democratic elections. Khaleda Zia made history in 1991 by becoming the first elected female prime minister of Bangladesh. She institutionalized the parliamentary system in the country and introduced the caretaker government system in addition to other significant reforms in the economy such as VAT, banking acts, and privatization.
Three Terms An Defining Rivalry
Khaleda was the prime minister of Bangladesh three times. This was between 1991 and 1996, in 1996, and finally from 2001 to 2006. Her rule witnessed a rise in the education of women, increased funding in schools, and the political activism of women.
However, her struggle with Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the founder of Bangladesh and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led to a struggle that defined Bangladeshi politics for many years. The struggle between the two leaders rendered it difficult to distinguish between political and personal issues.
Since the year 2006, Khaleda Zia has experienced arrest, charges of corruption, incarceration, and extensive periods of house arrest. But she alleged that the charges against her were politically driven. Bangladesh’s Supreme Court acquitted her of the remaining charge in January 2025.
Even when she was suffering from serious health problems like liver cirrhosis and heart problems, Khaleda Zia continued to remain an important figure. She came out of jail after the ousting of Sheikh Hasina and also showed interest in campaigning prior to the 2026 elections. It is an end of a political career, whereby Putul began in Jalpaiguri but changed Bangladesh politics’ course, coming from a shy Putul to 'Begum Zia'.