Bangladesh's first female prime minister Khaleda Zia dies aged 80

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete December 30, 2025 at 05:28 AM

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Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister, died at age 80 in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. Zia, who led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), first became prime minister in 1991, ushering in democratic elections after two decades. She entered politics after her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in 1981, eventually leading the BNP and becoming a prominent political figure. Her terms as prime minister were marked by both praise for improving women's education and criticism for alleged corruption and controversial elections. Despite her poor health, her party had hoped she would contest the upcoming general elections. Her death has sparked gatherings outside the hospital where she was being treated.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Hussain Muhammad Ershad 40% Awami League 40% Dhaka 40% Evercare Hospital 40% Ziaur Rahman 50% Sheikh Hasina 60% Bangladesh Nationalist Party ×270% Bangladesh ×690% Khaleda Zia ×995%

Keywords

khaleda zia 100% bangladesh 90% prime minister 80% politics 70% death 70% bangladesh nationalist party 60% election 60% political leader 50% sheikh hasina 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

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Source

BBC News - World

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Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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khaleda zia bangladesh prime minister politics death bangladesh nationalist party election political leader sheikh hasina

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