Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister, has died at the age of 80 after suffering from a prolonged illness.
Our favourite leader is no longer with us. She left us at 6am this morning, Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced on Facebook.
Physicians had reported that Zia's condition was extremely critical leading to her being placed on life support. Doctors specified that, given her age and overall poor health, multiple treatments were not feasible.
Zia first made history when she became Bangladesh's first female head of government in 1991, leading the BNP to victory in the nation’s first democratic election in two decades.
She returned to the position in 2001, holding office until October 2006, when she stepped down in anticipation of impending elections.
Throughout her political career, Zia faced numerous allegations of corruption and engaged in a longstanding rivalry with Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from her premiership last year.
As wife of the late president Ziaur Rahman, Zia had a notable political legacy but was ultimately jailed for five years in 2018 due to corruption charges.
