बांग्लादेश की पूर्व पीएम खालिदा जिया का निधन: 20 दिन से वेंटिलेटर पर थीं, किडनी की बीमारी से जूझ रही थीं

Khaleda Zia was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006.

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Khaleda Zia passed away at 6 am today at the age of 80. She was on ventilator for 20 days.

Khaleda was suffering from chest infection, liver, kidney, diabetes, arthritis and eye problems for the last several years. His family and party leaders have confirmed the death.

Khaleda Zia was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh twice, from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006. She was the wife of former President Zia-ur-Rehman.

His elder son and BNP acting chairman Tariq Rehman had been living in London since 2008. He returned to Bangladesh this month. At the same time, his younger son Arafat Rahman died of a heart attack in 2015.

Was sentenced to 10 years in 2018

On February 8, 2018, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Special Court of Dhaka on charges of embezzling government money in the name of Zia Orphanage Trust. Khaleda’s son Tariq and five other accused were also sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

A fine of 2.1 crore Bangladeshi taka was also imposed on him. Tariq and other two accused had absconded. Jiah had appealed against this decision in the High Court. While hearing this on October 30, 2018, the court had increased the punishment to 10 years.

After this, Khaleda had appealed for leave-to-appeal against the sentence i.e. to directly challenge it in the Supreme Court. It was delayed for 5 years due to legal procedures.

Khaleda Zia was released on 6 August 2024, 1 day after the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina. After this she went to London for better treatment. After staying there for 4 months, she returned to the country on 6 May.

Khaleda Zia was suffering from liver cirrhosis, heart disease and kidney disease.

Khaleda Zia was an opponent of Sheikh Hasina

The politics of Bangladesh has revolved around two leaders, one being Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina and the other being BNP’s Khaleda Zia. Bangladesh was under military rule in the 1980s. At that time, Hasina and Khaleda used to protest together on the streets against the military rule.

Democracy returned after the departure of dictator Ershad in 1990. After Khaleda Zia won the elections in 1991, political enmity between Khaleda and Sheikh Hasina increased. Whenever elections were held in Bangladesh after 1990, power went either to Khaleda Zia or to Sheikh Hasina. The media used to name it ‘Battle of Begums’ i.e. fight of two Begums.

Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina (left) and Khaleda Zia (right) were once friends.

Khaleda Zia is the wife of Rahman who liberated Bangladesh

Khaleda Zia was born in 1945. She did not belong to any political family and had no connection whatsoever with politics. In 1960, she married Ziaur Rehman, a soldier.

Bangladesh fought for independence in 1971. During this time Sheikh Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested.

At the same time, Ziaur Rahman read an announcement on the radio, in which he said that he was fighting on behalf of ‘Independent Bangladesh’. After the war ended, when Bangladesh was formed, Rahman returned to the army. He got a big post in the army.

Rahman also started being seen as an influential face politically. After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family in 1975, there were continuous coups in the country. Factionalism in the army increased so much that the government changed hands several times within a few months.

In this unstable environment, Ziaur Rahman gradually emerged as the most powerful military leader and in 1977 he became the President of the country. After assuming power, he formed a new political party named Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Today this party is being run by his wife Khaleda Zia and son Tariq Rehman.

Former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman and his wife Khaleda Zia.

Entry into politics after husband’s death

Rahman was assassinated on 30 May 1981. He was in Chittagong when some rebel army officers mutinied and he died in the crossfire.

After the death of her husband, the BNP party started disintegrating and the party leaders convinced Khaleda to take over the leadership. Initially she was not ready, but in 1984 she took charge of the party.

In 1991, when the first truly democratic elections were held in Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia’s BNP party won and she became the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She lost power in 1996, but became Prime Minister again in 2001.

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