Former Bangladesh prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. She was undergoing treatment at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital. A dominant figure in Bangladesh’s post-independence politics, Khaleda Zia shaped the country’s political landscape for over four decades and shared a defining rivalry with Sheikh Hasina.

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia passed away on Tuesday, the party said in a statement. She was 80 and had been suffering from a prolonged illness. Khaleda Zia was undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

Following news of her death, visuals from Evercare Hospital showed heightened security arrangements. Tall metal fences topped with barbed wire, double-layered barricading, and police personnel stationed at multiple points were seen around the hospital premises.

Long Battle With Illness

The 80-year-old former prime minister had been battling multiple health conditions for several years, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis and kidney-related complications.

A Dominant Political Figure

Khaleda Zia is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh’s post-independence history. She dominated the country’s political landscape for over four decades and played a central role in shaping modern Bangladeshi politics.

Imprisonment and Legal Battles

In 2018, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases. A local court held her guilty of abusing her position as prime minister by diverting funds to the newly established Zia Orphanage Trust.

She spent over two years in prison between February 8, 2018, and March 25, 2020, before her sentence was conditionally suspended amid the COVID-19 pandemic to allow medical treatment at home. The suspension, which came with restrictions on travel, was extended periodically until political changes in 2024. Following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered her full release in August 2024 and she was later acquitted in key cases by late 2024 and early 2025.

BNP Leadership Transition

Her son, Tarique Rahman, returned to Bangladesh last week after 17 years in self-imposed exile. He is set to lead the Bangladesh Nationalist Party into the February 12 general election and is expected to be projected as the party’s prime ministerial candidate if the BNP secures a majority.