Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia dies after long illness
“I am deeply saddened and grief-stricken by her death,” Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, said. He added that Zia “represented an important chapter” in the history of Bangladesh.
”Despite political differences, her long political journey dedicated to national welfare, her people-oriented leadership, and her firm resolve always showed the way,” Yunus said, highlighting her contributions to the nation.
Her passing was also mourned internationally, including by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In addition to serving twice as opposition leader, Zia was Bangladesh’s first lady from 1977 to 1981. Her husband, Ziaur Rahman, the country’s sixth president, was assassinated by army personnel in 1981. Zia, a long-time political rival of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, faced several corruption cases but was ultimately acquitted by the Supreme Court.
Last week, her son Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, returned to Dhaka after nearly 17 years in exile. Reports indicate that he is expected to play a significant role in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February.
Meanwhile, political tensions have intensified. The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed from last year’s protest movement that ousted Hasina, recently announced an electoral alliance with the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, sparking a split within the NCP, which had positioned itself as a centrist, reformist alternative to the BNP and Awami League.
Recent unrest in Bangladesh has added to the volatile political climate. Following the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent figure in the 2024 uprising, masked assailants shot him in Dhaka earlier this month. In response, protesters took to the streets nationwide, demanding justice, chanting anti-India slogans, and attacking several newspapers, setting their offices on fire, according to reports.
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