Khaleda’s demise draws wide int’l media coverage
Staff Reporter :
The death of BNP chairperson and three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has drawn wide and immediate coverage across international media, with leading global outlets describing her passing as the end of a defining chapter in Bangladesh’s political history.
International news agencies and major media houses highlighted her long political career, her rise from political obscurity to becoming Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, and her decades-long rivalry with Sheikh Hasina that shaped the country’s politics for a generation.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that “Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who many believed would sweep elections next year to lead her country once again, died on Tuesday aged 80, her party said.” The agency noted that despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia had vowed in November to campaign in elections set for February, which would have been the first national vote since a mass uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina last year.
The BBC published its report under the headline, “Khaleda Zia: Slain leader’s widow who became Bangladesh’s first PM.”
The broadcaster recalled how Zia was once described as a “shy housewife” married to Ziaur Rahman, a key figure in Bangladesh’s independence struggle who later became president in 1977. Following his assassination in 1981, the BBC noted, she rose to lead the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and went on to serve two terms as prime minister, first in the 1990s and later in the early 2000s.
Associated Press (AP) reported that Khaleda Zia “had faced corruption cases she said were politically motivated,” and reported that in January 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted her in the last remaining corruption case, which would have allowed her to contest the upcoming general election.
AP also reported the BNP’s claim that Zia’s family had sought permission at least 18 times for her to receive treatment abroad after her release from prison in 2020, requests that were rejected by the then Awami League government.
Following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in 2024, an interim administration led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus finally allowed her to travel to London for treatment in January. She returned to Bangladesh in May.
Reuters ran the headline, “Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, dies at 80,” describing her as a dominant political figure who came to power in 1991 and developed a “bitter rivalry” with Sheikh Hasina, with the two leaders alternating in power for decades.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera described Khaleda Zia as “a towering figure in the country’s turbulent politics,” and ran a separate profile titled “Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman PM: A life of power and resistance.” The outlet highlighted her role in resisting military rule and her influence in shaping Bangladesh’s democratic transition.
Britain’s Guardian wrote, “Khaleda Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh whose long rivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country’s politics for a generation, has died aged 80,” calling her one of the most significant and divisive figures in the country’s post-independence history.
Indian news agency PTI described her as “a formidable figure who dominated Bangladesh politics for decades,” while Germany’s DW headlined its report, “Rise and fall of Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female PM,” noting that she was once praised for restoring democracy and empowering millions of women.
The Washington Post focused on her rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, stating that the political battle between the two leaders “shaped Bangladesh’s politics for a generation.”
The New York Times placed her within the context of dynastic politics, describing her as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister whose rivalry with another woman leading a competing political dynasty “shaped the fate of the young South Asian nation.”
Bloomberg framed her legacy through the lens of democratic transition, running the headline, “Khaleda Zia, a Force for Democracy in Bangladesh, Dies at 80,” and describing her as a leader who helped usher in democracy after years of military rule.
Pakistan’s Dawn reported that she died “after a prolonged illness,” recalling her imprisonment on corruption charges and subsequent release following political changes.
India’s Times of India highlighted regional reactions, focusing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tribute and recalling his 2015 meeting with Khaleda Zia.
The paper quoted Modi as expressing grief over her death and acknowledging her role in Bangladesh’s development and in strengthening bilateral ties.
Across continents, the international response underscored Khaleda Zia’s enduring influence on Bangladesh’s political life.
For many global observers, her death marks not just the passing of a former prime minister, but the close of an era defined by fierce rivalry, democratic struggle, and the central role of women at the very top of South Asian politics.