President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has offered his deepest condolences following the passing of Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a prominent political figure.
She died at the age of 80 while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka for a lung infection, as confirmed by her party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and local media.
President Muizzu in a message on X, expressed deep condolences to the Bangladeshi government and people, extending prayers for her grieving family.
Khaleda Zia, a three-time prime minister, played a pivotal role in the country’s democratic transition. In 1991, she made history by winning Bangladesh’s first free and fair elections under democratic rules, subsequently changing the government system from presidential to parliamentary.
Despite her political achievements, her later years were marred by legal battles. In 2018, she was imprisoned on corruption charges during former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, only being released last year after Hasina’s government fell.