Global Leaders Pay Tribute as Bangladesh’s First Female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Dies

The death of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has sparked an outpouring of condolences from leaders around the world, who hailed her role as the country’s first female premier and a central figure in its democratic journey.

Khaleda Zia passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 79.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed “profound sorrow” over the death of the three-time prime minister, describing her as a “symbol of the democratic movement.” He said her struggle to establish democracy, a multi-party political culture, and the rights of the people “will be remembered forever,” adding that he was “deeply saddened and grief-stricken” by her passing.

Khaleda’s longtime political rival, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in exile in India since her ouster last year, also conveyed her condolences.

“As the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and for her role in the struggle to establish democracy, her contributions to the nation were significant and will be remembered. Her passing represents a profound loss for Bangladesh’s political life and for the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party,” Hasina said in a message shared online by her Awami League.

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened” by Khaleda Zia’s death and extended his “sincerest condolences” to her family and the people of Bangladesh.

“As the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, her important contributions towards the development of Bangladesh, as well as India-Bangladesh relations, will always be remembered,” he wrote on X.