Bangladesh is in mourning following the death of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who passed away at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness. Her party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), confirmed that she died early Tuesday morning in a Dhaka hospital, prompting the government to declare three days of state mourning in her honour.
Okay News reports that Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a dominant figure in the country’s politics for over three decades, will be laid to rest on Wednesday after funeral prayers at the National Parliament complex.
Tributes have poured in from across Bangladesh and beyond, with interim leader Muhammad Yunus describing her as a “symbol of the democratic movement” and foreign leaders, including India’s Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, offering condolences.
Khaleda’s death marks the end of an era defined by her fierce rivalry with Sheikh Hasina and her enduring influence on Bangladesh’s democratic struggles. Despite years of illness, imprisonment, and political controversy, she remained a central figure in national life, admired by supporters for her resilience and criticised by opponents for her uncompromising style.
