World reacts to death of Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female leader

Tributes pour in from around the world as Bangladesh mourns Khaleda Zia.Published On 30 Dec 2025The death of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has prompted an outpouring of condolences around the world, with leaders highlighting her service to the nation as its first female premier.Khaleda died in a hospital in Dhaka on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. She was 79 years old.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman PM: A life of power and resistancelist 2 of 4Bangladesh mourns former leader Khaleda Zia, who died aged 79list 3 of 4Exiled Bangladeshi leader faces test to “prove his legitimacy”list 4 of 4Bangladesh election: Why BNP leader Tarique Rahman’s return mattersend of listHere’s a round-up of the reaction:BangladeshThe country’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, expressed “profound sorrow” at the three-time prime minister’s death. He described her as a “symbol of the democratic movement” and said her struggle to establish “democracy, a multi-party political culture and the rights of the people in Bangladesh will be remembered forever”.He said he was “deeply saddened and grief-stricken by her death”.Khaleda’s longtime political rival, Sheikh Hasina, who remains in exile in India following her overthrow last year, also offered condolences.“As 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’s political life and for the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party,” Hasina said in a post shared online by her Awami League.IndiaIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened” by Khaleda’s death and offered his “sincerest condolences” to her family and the people of Bangladesh.“As 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,” he wrote on X.