Bangladesh<\/strong><\/p>\nBangladesh\u2019s interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed \u201cprofound sorrow\u201d over the death of the three-time prime minister, describing her as a \u201csymbol of the democratic movement.\u201d He said her struggle to establish democracy, a multi-party political culture, and the rights of the people \u201cwill be remembered forever,\u201d adding that he was \u201cdeeply saddened and grief-stricken\u201d by her passing.<\/p>\n
Khaleda\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs 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\u2019s political life and for the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party,\u201d Hasina said in a message shared online by her Awami League.<\/p>\n
India<\/strong><\/p>\nIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by Khaleda Zia\u2019s death and extended his \u201csincerest condolences\u201d to her family and the people of Bangladesh.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs 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,\u201d he wrote on X.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019s 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 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-50666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-south-asia","tag-headline"],"yoast_head":"\n
Global Leaders Pay Tribute as Bangladesh\u2019s First Female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Dies - South Asian Wire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southasianwire.com\/wire\/2025\/12\/31\/global-leaders-pay-tribute-as-bangladeshs-first-female-prime-minister-khaleda-zia-dies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Global Leaders Pay Tribute as Bangladesh\u2019s First Female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Dies - South Asian Wire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"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\u2019s first female premier and a central figure in its democratic journey. 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