Khaleda Zia

Politician

Bangladeshi Dinajpur, Bengal Presidency, British India

Quick Info

ProfessionPolitician
NationalityBangladeshi
Date of Birth15/08/1945
Age80 years (died on 30, Dec, 2025)
BirthplaceDinajpur, Bengal Presidency, British India
Date of Death30/12/2025

Latest News about Khaleda Zia

30/12/2025

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister and longtime chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), died at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on 30 December 2025 at the age of 79 or 80 following a prolonged illness. The BNP confirmed her death at 6 a.m. local time, and the interim government declared three days of national mourning, with funeral prayers held in front of parliament before she was buried alongside her assassinated husband, President Ziaur Rahman.

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Bio/Wiki

Begum Khaleda Zia (born Khaleda Khanam) was the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the second female Prime Minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto.
She was the longest-serving chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), holding the position from 1984 until her death in 2025.
She is widely recognized as the longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served three terms: 1991–1996, briefly in 1996, and 2001–2006.
After the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981, she assumed leadership of the BNP and became a central figure in Bangladesh's democratic movement.

Physical Stats & More

Height170 cm
Weight60 kg
Eye ColorDark Brown
Hair ColorSalt & Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Dhaka University
Master of Arts (MA) in Bengali Literature from Dhaka University

Personal Life

HobbiesTravelling, Listening to Music

Relationships & More

Marital StatusWidow
Husband/SpouseGeneral Ziaur Rahman (7th President of Bangladesh)
Marriage Date1960
Children

Family

FatherIskandar Majumder (Businessman)
MotherTaiyaba Majumder
Siblings
  • Sayeed Iskander
  • Khurshid Jahan

Career

Political PartyBangladesh Nationalist Party
Political Journey
  • 1984: Elected chairperson of the BNP
  • 1991: Won an election for the first time
  • 1991-1996: Served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh in her First Term
  • 1996-2001: Served as the Leader of the Opposition
  • 2001-2006: Served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh in her Second Term
  • 2008-2014: Served as the Leader of the Opposition for the 2nd time
  • 1996: Briefly served as Prime Minister for a few months
Biggest RivalSheikh Hasina
Key Achievements
  • First female Prime Minister of Bangladesh
  • Longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh
  • Led the four-party alliance in 1999 to return to power
  • Promoted female education and empowerment during her terms

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. She was born into a family of businessmen in Dinajpur District in Bengal, British India (now in north-western Bangladesh).
2. She married Ziaur Rahman, who became the 7th President of Bangladesh in 1977.
3. After her husband's assassination, she became the head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
4. She opposed the autocratic rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad and was detained multiple times.
5. She served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh for three terms.
6. She is considered the longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
7. She was sworn in as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister in 1991.
8. In 1999, she formed a four-party alliance to increase chances of returning to power.
9. She faced criticism for allying with Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.
10. On 29 October 2006, her term as Prime Minister ended.
11. She suffered from advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, and various heart and chest complications before her death.
12. She was buried alongside her late husband, President Ziaur Rahman, after a state funeral.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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