Khaleda Zia: The Political Journey of a Prime Minister

Khaleda Zia occupies a singular place in Bangladesh’s political history. As the country’s first woman prime minister and one of South Asia’s most powerful female leaders, her rise, rule, and resistance reshaped the nation’s democratic trajectory for more than four decades.
Born in Dinajpur in 1945, Khaleda Zia entered public life not through politics but circumstance. Her ascent followed the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, on May 30 in 1981. Thrust into the centre of national politics amid instability and military influence, she assumed leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1984 and quickly emerged as a formidable political force.
Her defining moment came in 1991, when she led the BNP to victory in a landmark election that ended years of authoritarian rule and restored parliamentary democracy in the country. As prime minister, she presided over the reintroduction of the parliamentary system, a milestone widely regarded as one of her most enduring achievements. Her first term positioned her as a central figure in Bangladesh’s democratic revival.
Khaleda Zia returned to power from 2001 to 2006, leading a coalition government during a period of economic growth but also rising political violence and institutional strain. Her tenure coincided with intensifying rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, entrenching a two-party system marked by deep hostility, repeated confrontations, and political paralysis.
After losing power, Khaleda Zia faced years of legal battles, imprisonment, and declining health. These years transformed her from an active leader into a powerful political symbol—viewed by supporters as a victim of political persecution and by critics as accountable for past governance failures. Despite her absence from frontline politics, her influence over the BNP and its supporters never fully waned.
Khaleda Zia’s history is inseparable from Bangladesh’s modern political evolution: the restoration of democracy, the rise of partisan polarisation, and the struggle between authority and accountability. Her life reflects both the promise and the cost of leadership in a deeply divided political landscape.
After a long and arduous life of struggle, Khaleda Zia departed from this world at 6:00 am on Tuesday (December 30). In Bangladesh’s political landscape, she is widely known as the “uncompromising leader.” She will remain eternally relevant in the pages of Bangladesh’s history.
With her away, Bangladesh closes a defining chapter—one written in resilience, rivalry, and lasting impact on the nation’s political identity.