Ex-Bangladesh PM passes away at age of eighty
Zia was Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, serving two terms as head of government from 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006.
“I am deeply saddened and grief-stricken by her death,” said Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government. He added that Zia “represented an important chapter” in the nation’s history.
“Despite political differences, her long political journey dedicated to national welfare, her people-oriented leadership, and her firm resolve always showed the way,” Yunus added.
Zia’s passing was also mourned by the leaders of neighboring countries, including India and Pakistan.
In addition to serving twice as leader of the opposition, Zia was Bangladesh’s first lady from 1977 to 1981. Her husband, Ziaur Rahman, the country’s sixth president, was assassinated by members of the military in 1981. A long-time rival of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Zia faced multiple corruption charges but was ultimately acquitted by the Supreme Court.
Her son, Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, returned to Dhaka last week after nearly 17 years in exile. Rahman is seen as a major contender in the country’s upcoming general elections, scheduled for February.
Recently, the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed from the protest movement that ousted Hasina last year, announced an electoral alliance with the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, creating internal tensions within the NCP, which has positioned itself as a centrist, reformist alternative to both the BNP and Hasina’s Awami League.
Bangladesh has also experienced a recent wave of violence following the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, a leading figure in the 2024 uprising, who was shot by masked attackers in Dhaka earlier this month.
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