Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia passes away at the age of 80

Dhaka: An era in Bangladeshi politics has come to an end. Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chairperson of the BNP, a symbol of struggle, strength, and courage, has passed away at the age of 80. The BNP party announced this in a post on the social media platform X. The party wrote that the veteran Bangladeshi leader passed away after battling multiple health problems.

According to a statement issued by the party, Khaleda Zia breathed her last at around 6 a.m. at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. She had been hospitalized for the past 36 days. She was admitted on November 23rd with heart and lung infections. She was also suffering from pneumonia.

Party appeals to people for prayers
In a statement, the BNP said that BNP Chairperson, former Prime Minister, and national leader Begum Khaleda Zia passed away this morning after Fajr prayers. The party appealed to people to pray for the peace of her soul.

Doctors had stated at night that her condition was extremely critical.
Earlier, late Sunday night, news agency UNB quoted doctors as saying that Khaleda Zia’s condition was “extremely critical.” Medical board member Dr. Ziaul Haq said she was on life support. Doctors also stated that Khaleda Zia requires regular kidney dialysis. Whenever dialysis is stopped, her health deteriorates rapidly.

Preparations were made to transport her abroad for treatment.
Media reports and the party stated that due to her deteriorating health, an attempt was made to transport her abroad for treatment earlier this month, but this was not possible due to her frail health.

Former Bangladeshi PM was battling multiple health issues
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia previously suffered from various health problems, including liver, kidney, diabetes, arthritis, and eye diseases. On May 6th of this year, Zia returned to Bangladesh from London, where she received advanced medical treatment for four months.

It is worth noting that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was founded by former Prime Minister Ziaur Rahman. Currently, his wife, Khaleda Zia, leads it. The party has also succeeded in gaining power in 1979, 1991, 1996, and 2001. During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, the BNP was the main opposition party in Bangladesh. The BNP boycotted the 2024 general elections.

The BNP had also accused Sheikh Hasina of being too close to India and raised nationalism as an issue. Furthermore, on December 3, the BNP announced candidates for 237 seats in the general elections scheduled for February 2026. However, now that Khaleda Zia has passed away, a wave of grief is evident among her supporters.