Dhaka: Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, died today at the age of 80 after a long battle with a chronic illness. The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) announced on Facebook that Ms. Zia passed away at 6:00 AM today. Medical teams reported last night that her condition was critical and she required life support, but due to her age and deteriorating health, they were unable to provide multiple treatments simultaneously.

According to Thai News Agency, Mrs. Zia was the wife of Ziaur Rahman, the former president who was assassinated in a coup in 1981. She became Bangladesh's first female prime minister in 1991, leading the BNP to victory in Bangladesh's first democratic elections in 20 years. She returned to the position of prime minister in 2001, and then stepped down in October 2006, prior to the general election.

Zia's political career was tarnished by corruption allegations and a long-standing political conflict with Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League leader who held the premiership for a second term since 2009 before being ousted from power by student and public protests in August 2024 after ruling the country for more than 15 years and forced into exile in India. Zia was released from prison after that, following a five-year sentence on corruption charges in 2018. She suffered from several illnesses and was sent to England for treatment earlier this year, returning to Dhaka for treatment in November until her death today.