Metro53 - Dhaka (Web Desk): Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the country’s first female head of government, Khaleda Zia, has passed away. She was 80 years old and had been suffering from multiple illnesses.
According to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda Zia breathed her last at a hospital in the capital Dhaka at 6:00 am local time. She had been admitted in critical condition, and doctors had placed her on life support. However, due to her advanced age and deteriorating health, simultaneous treatment of multiple diseases was not possible.
Khaleda Zia was the wife of former Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman. She remained unwell for a long time and was battling several serious medical conditions.
She assumed office as Prime Minister for the first time in 1991 and was elected again in 2001. However, she stepped down from power in October 2006 ahead of general elections.
During her political career, Khaleda Zia faced corruption allegations and, in 2018, she was sentenced to five years in prison, which she served.
She also had a long-standing political rivalry with Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed. Eventually, Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down from government last year.
It is worth noting that Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, returned to Bangladesh a few days ago after spending 17 years in exile.
