Former Bangladesh PM and poll favourite Khaleda Zia dies aged 80Listen to this articleKhaleda Zia speaks during a press conference in Dhaka in March 2015. afpDHAKA - Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who many believed would sweep elections next year to lead her country once again, died on Tuesday aged 80, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said. "This is an irreparable loss for the nation," senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters, his voice choking with emotion. Three-time prime minister Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Hasina's government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment. "I pray for the eternal peace and forgiveness of Begum Khaleda Zia's soul," Hasina said, in a statement on social media by her now banned Awami League party. Khaleda Zia endured such ordeals at their most extreme."

Source: Bangkok Post December 30, 2025 08:07 UTC