Khaleda Zia, former prime minister and long-time leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has died aged 80, the BNP said. She passed away at 6:00 am (0000 GMT) shortly after the Fajr prayer after weeks of fragile health. Despite illness and a history of imprisonment, Zia had pledged to campaign in the February 2026 election; BNP activists filed nomination papers for her hours before she died. Her son, Tarique Rahman, who has just returned from 17 years in exile, will lead the party into the February 12 vote.
Khaleda Zia, Former Bangladesh Prime Minister And BNP Leader, Dies Aged 80
Khaleda Zia speaks during a press conference in Dhaka in March 2015 (Munir UZ ZAMAN)(Munir UZ ZAMAN/AFP/AFP)
Bangladesh's former prime minister and long-time leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda Zia, has died aged 80, the party said. The BNP announced she passed away at 6:00 am (0000 GMT), shortly after the Fajr (dawn) prayer.
"The BNP Chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6:00 am (0000 GMT), just after the Fajr (dawn) prayer," the party said in a statement, asking supporters to pray for her soul.
Zia had faced weeks of fragile health after being rushed to hospital in late November with multiple medical problems. Doctors worked to stabilise her condition, but it declined over subsequent weeks. There were plans earlier in the month to transport her to London on a special air ambulance for advanced treatment; medical teams later said she was not stable enough for the journey.
Despite prolonged illness, a history of imprisonment and travel restrictions, Zia declared in November that she intended to campaign in the general election scheduled for February 2026. Her BNP has been widely viewed as a frontrunner ahead of that vote — described by the party as the first ballot since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival, Sheikh Hasina, last year.
Demonstrating the party's determination to maintain her political role, BNP activists filed nomination papers on her behalf for three parliamentary constituencies just hours before her death.
During Zia's final days, interim BNP leader Muhammad Yunus appealed to the nation to pray for her and called her a "source of utmost inspiration for the nation." BNP media chief Moudud Alamgir Pavel also confirmed her death to AFP. Prothom Alo reported that her son, Tarique Rahman, and other family members were at her bedside when she died and described Zia as having "earned the epithet of the 'uncompromising leader.'"
Zia was jailed on corruption charges in 2018 during the government of Sheikh Hasina, which also restricted her travel abroad for medical care. She was released last year shortly after Hasina was removed from power.
Her son, Tarique Rahman — a dominant figure in BNP politics who returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in self-imposed exile — was greeted by large crowds when he arrived earlier this week. Rahman is set to lead the party through the February 12 general election and is widely expected to be proposed as the BNP's candidate for prime minister if the party secures a majority.
Legacy: Khaleda Zia's political career was marked by fierce rivalry, periods of incarceration and enduring influence within the BNP. Media reflections underline the turbulent nature of Bangladeshi politics and note that she endured lawsuits, arrests and persecution at the highest levels.
