Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and one of the most influential figures in the country’s political history, has passed away at the age of 80 following a long illness, the BBC reports.
Zia became prime minister in 1991, after leading her party to victory in Bangladesh’s first democratic elections following 20 years of authoritarian rule.
Doctors had stated on Monday that her condition was “extremely critical.” She had been placed on life-support machines, but due to her advanced age and poor overall health, it was not possible to carry out multiple treatments simultaneously.
Despite her deteriorating health, her party had earlier announced that Khaleda Zia was expected to run in the general elections scheduled for February, which would have been the first elections since the revolution that led to the downfall of her political rival, Sheikh Hasina.
For decades, Bangladesh’s political landscape was dominated by the intense rivalry between these two women, who alternated between power and opposition, shaping the country’s modern political era.
“Our beloved leader is no longer with us. She passed away today at 6 a.m.,” the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced in a statement posted on Facebook.
