PM Modi Mourns Khaleda Zia, Remembers Her Role in Shaping Bangladesh and India Ties

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over the demise of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, describing her passing as a significant loss not only for Bangladesh but for the region as a whole. In his condolence message, the Prime Minister highlighted her contribution to Bangladesh’s political journey and her role in strengthening bilateral relations with India.

In a message shared on social media, PM Modi conveyed his sympathies to Zia’s family and the people of Bangladesh, saying her legacy would continue to be remembered. He noted that as Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia played a decisive role during crucial phases of the country’s development and democratic evolution. Recalling their interaction, Modi mentioned his meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015, describing it as warm and meaningful.

Khaleda Zia passed away in Dhaka at the age of 80 after a prolonged period of illness. She had been admitted to hospital in late November for routine medical tests, during which doctors detected complications related to a chest infection. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to her transfer to the Coronary Care Unit, where she remained under close observation before her death.

Zia was one of the most influential and controversial figures in Bangladeshi politics, with her long-standing rivalry with Sheikh Hasina shaping the country’s political landscape for decades. Widowed after the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman in a failed coup in 1981, she later emerged as a mass leader and played a key role in movements that led to the fall of military rule in 1990.

Serving as Prime Minister on three occasions between 1991 and 2006, Khaleda Zia became a symbol of women’s leadership in South Asia. Her political career, however, was also marked by legal battles. Convicted in corruption cases in 2018, she consistently maintained that the charges were politically driven. In early 2025, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court acquitted her in the final pending case, reopening the possibility of her return to active politics.

Zia also shared a historical connection with India. Born in 1945 in Jalpaiguri, now in West Bengal, her family later moved to present-day Bangladesh following Partition.