Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia Dies at 80

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister and longtime leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged battle with multiple chronic illnesses. Her death at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka marks the end of an era in the nation's polarized politics, where she played a central role for decades.

Zia passed away at 6 a.m., shortly after the Fajr dawn prayer, according to a statement from the BNP. The party, which she chaired, announced the news on its official Facebook page and in a formal release, expressing prayers for her soul and urging supporters to join in mourning. She had been receiving treatment at the hospital since November 23 for advanced liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, heart complications and other age-related conditions. On December 11, she was placed on ventilator support to aid her lungs and vital organs. Her personal physician, Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid, described her condition as extremely critical just two days before her death, noting that she was navigating a precarious phase and calling for national prayers for her recovery.

Born in 1945, Zia entered public life following the 1981 assassination of her husband,...