Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia has passed away.
BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia has passed away (Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun). She breathed her last at 6:00 am on Tuesday, December 30.
Daily Bijoy News Special Correspondent:
In a statement posted on BNP's verified Facebook page, it said, 'The Chairperson of BNP and former Prime Minister of the country, Leader of the People Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away at 6 am after Fajr prayers today (Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun). We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and seek prayers from everyone for her departed soul.'
She had been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital since November 23. Her personal physician and member of the party's Standing Committee, Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, had earlier informed that Khaleda Zia, who was receiving treatment in the ICU, was in a very critical condition and was going through a critical moment.
Life and Political Journey:
Begum Khaleda Zia was born on August 15, 1946, in Dinajpur district. She studied at Dinajpur Government Girls' High School and later at Surendranath College. In 1960, she married the martyred President Ziaur Rahman.
After the martyrdom of Ziaur Rahman in 1981, she became active in politics. She was elected Chairperson of BNP in 1984 and led the long pro-democracy movement against military ruler H.M. Ershad. She was detained and placed under house arrest many times during this struggle.
She became the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh after winning the 1991 general election. Her government introduced compulsory primary education and implemented groundbreaking reforms in the education sector, including free education and stipend programs to encourage girls' education. She served as Prime Minister for a second term after the 2001 election.
She holds a unique record in Bangladesh's parliamentary history, as she won in all the constituencies she contested from 1991 to 2008. In 2005, Forbes magazine listed her among the world's most powerful women. In 2011, the New Jersey State Senate in the United States honored her as a 'Champion of Democracy' in recognition of her contribution to protecting democracy.
In July 2024, after being convicted in a case in 2018, she was freed from all charges following the fall of the then government through a mass uprising.
Daily Bijoy News/ Junayed
