Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has died aged 80 following a long illness, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party announced on Monday.

"The BNP chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6:00 am (0000 GMT), just after the Fajr (dawn) prayer," the party said in a statement. "We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul." 

In office from 1991 until 1996, and a second stint from 2001 until 2009, Zia was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second female prime minister in the Muslim world.

However, she was later imprisoned by her political archrival, Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for  more than a decade before being ousted by a student-led uprising in 2024.

Zia had announced plans to contest the upcoming Bangladeshi election in February 2026. Her son, Tarique Rahman, currently serves as the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is widely seen as a frontrunner.

Health problems ahead of pivotal vote

In 2018, Zia was imprisoned on corruption charges that she said were politically motivated. She was released in 2024 in the aftermath of the student-led protests that ousted Hasina.

In January 2025, the Supreme Court in Dhaka acquitted Zia in the last corruption case against her, opening the door for her to run in the next election. Around that time she departed for the UK to undergo medical treatment before returning to Bangladesh in May.

She suffered from advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, chest ‍and heart problems, ​her doctors said.

The BNP said it would observe seven days of mourning, flying black flags at party offices nationwide, with special prayers to be held across the country.

Condolences pour in

Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus mourned Zia's death, saying that with her passing the country "has lost a great guardian."

"Through her uncompromising leadership, the nation was repeatedly freed from undemocratic conditions and inspired to regain liberty," he said.

Her archrival Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity and remains in hiding in India, said on the social media of her banned Awami League party that she prayed for Zia's soul.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he hoped Zia's "vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership." Modi's message came amid strained relations between the neighbors since Hasina's fall.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called Zia a "committed friend" to Islamabad. She was known to have a soft spot for Pakistan.

Meanwhile, China's ambassador in Dhaka, Yao Wen, offered his condolences saying: "China will continue to maintain its longstanding and friendly ties with the BNP."

Editor's note: You can read Khaleda Zia's obituary here.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar, Farah Bahgat