Dhaka, Dec 30 (V7N) – Thrice-former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away early Tuesday morning at 6:00 am while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. She was 80.

The party’s ICT Affairs Secretary A.K.M. Wahiduzzaman confirmed her death, and the BNP Media Cell’s verified Facebook page has since verified the announcement.

Earlier in the night, her eldest son and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, along with close family members including daughter-in-law Dr. Zubaida Rahman and granddaughter Zaima Rahman, had visited Begum Zia at the hospital and left around 1:55 am. Dr. Zahid Hossain, a BNP National Standing Committee member and her personal physician, briefed the press that she was passing through an “extremely critical phase.”

Begum Khaleda Zia had been admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 following a rapid deterioration in her health. She had long struggled with multiple medical complications, including diabetes, arthritis, and kidney, liver, heart, and lung conditions.

An icon of the pro-democracy movement during the 1980s, Begum Zia became the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh in 1991. Throughout her political career, she became known for her resilience, never losing an election until her last participation in 2008.

Her years in opposition, including periods of incarceration, cemented her legacy as a symbol of defiance against authoritarian rule. She spent her final days as a respected elder stateswoman, advocating unity and urging citizens to avoid revenge politics.

At the hospital at the time of her death were her family members, including Tarique Rahman, Dr. Zubaida Rahman, Zaima Rahman, younger son’s wife Sharmili Rahman, younger brother Shamim Eskandar and his wife, elder sister Selina Islam, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and the medical team responsible for her care.

Begum Khaleda Zia’s passing marks the end of a significant era in Bangladeshi politics. Party officials, political leaders, and citizens have begun offering condolences, and official mourning arrangements are expected to be announced shortly.

END/AJ/SMA/