Dhaka: Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister who restored democracy after a span of military rule and dominated the country’s politics for decades, died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. She was 80.
Zia’s demise came less than six weeks before Bangladesh will vote in the parliamentary elections for the first time after a massive student-led uprising led to the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Zia and Hasina were political rivals.
“My mother is no more,” Zia’s elder son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said early in the morning.
Zia was a three-time prime minister and held the position of chairperson of BNP. Her personal physician, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, said she breathed her last early on Tuesday while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
Zia’s family members, including her elder son Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter Zaima, were present at the hospital. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was also at the hospital.
Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Muhammad Yunus described former prime minister Zia as a “great guardian” whose role in the country’s democratic journey would be “remembered forever”.
The BNP said she passed away at 6.00 am local time, “just after Fajr prayer”.
Zia’s funeral will be held on Wednesday after Zohr prayers at Parliament’s South Plaza and the adjoining Manik Mia Avenue, Law Advisor Asif Nazrul said.
She will later be laid to rest with full state honours beside the grave of her husband, former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka, Nazrul told reporters after a special meeting of the interim government.
Advisory Council at the state guest house Jamuna.
Top leaders of several countries condoled the death of Zia.
The interim government said on Tuesday that the funeral of Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday and she will be buried with full state honours beside her husband, late president Ziaur Rahman.
