Dhaka: Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and longtime chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), died on Tuesday following an extended battle with illness. She was 80 years old.
The BNP announced her death in an official statement, revealing that the veteran politician passed away at 6 a.m., shortly after the Fajr prayer, while receiving care at Evercare Hospital in the capital.
Zia had been hospitalized since November 23, spending 36 days under intensive treatment for infections affecting her heart and lungs, as well as pneumonia, according to reports from the Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star.
As the nation’s pioneering female head of government, Zia faced a range of chronic health issues over the years, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and complications involving her kidneys, lungs, heart, and eyes. Her medical team included experts from Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and Australia.
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Efforts earlier this month to transfer her overseas for further care were abandoned due to her deteriorating and fragile state, which made travel impossible.
In its statement, the BNP described Zia as a “national leader” and called for prayers for the eternal peace of her soul.
Her death marks the end of an era in Bangladeshi politics, coming at a time when many observers anticipated her party’s strong performance in upcoming elections.
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