LAHORE (Web Desk)
Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and a prominent leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has passed away. Born on August 15, 1946, in Dinajpur, she rose to prominence after the assassination of her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981.
Khaleda Zia assumed the premiership in 1991 after winning the country’s first free elections, defeating long-time rival Sheikh Hasina. She later served as Prime Minister again from 2001 to 2006. Her political career was marked by both significant achievements and controversies, including corruption allegations that led to her imprisonment in 2018. She, along with her son Tarique Rahman, was accused of misappropriating nearly $250,000 in foreign aid meant for an orphanage, though the Bangladesh Supreme Court later acquitted them in 2025.
Despite these challenges, Khaleda Zia remained a key figure in Bangladeshi politics and had a long-standing rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, who recently left office. Her son, Tarique Rahman, returned to Bangladesh after 17 years of exile. Khaleda Zia’s political legacy continues to influence the country’s political landscape.