Khaleda Zia

Also known as Begum Khaleda Zia, Khaleda Majumder, Khaleda Khanom, Begum Zia

Begum Khaleda Zia was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second female prime minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto. She was the wife of the former president of Bangladesh and army chief, Ziaur Rahman. She was the longest serving chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from 1984 until her death in 2025.

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Khaleda Zia was a Bangladeshi politician who served as prime minister twice (1991–1996 and 2001–2006) and became the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second in the Muslim world. She led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for four decades until her death in 2025, making her a significant political figure in Bangladesh's modern history.

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Image: Khaleda Zia cropped from Secretary Kerry Poses for a Photo With Government Opposition Leader Begum Khaled Zia at U.S. Embassy Dhaka (29284522026) (cropped).jpg
Number of children: 2

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date of birth: 1946-08-15
Commons category: Khaleda Zia
name in native language: খালেদা জিয়া
P10632: Khaleda Zia
date of death: 2025-12-30

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Article

Begum Khaleda Zia (born Khaleda Khanam; 15 August 1946 – 30 December 2025) was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second female prime minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto. She was the wife of the former president of Bangladesh and army chief, Ziaur Rahman. She was the longest serving chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from 1984 until her death in 2025.

Zia was born into a Bengali Muslim family in 1946 in Jalpaiguri and moved to East Bengal, present-day Bangladesh, in 1950. During the Liberation War of Bangladesh, after her husband joined the Mukti Bahini, she, along with her sons, was detained by the Pakistani Forces. She was the First Lady of Bangladesh from 1977 until her husband's assassination in 1981. Afterwards, Zia became active in politics and became the leader of the BNP in 1984. She and her party played a leading role in the pro-democracy movement against Hussain Muhammad Ershad. They boycotted the 1986 and 1988 general elections, thus securing for her the reputation of an "uncompromising leader". She, along with Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League, helped lead the 1990 mass uprising.