Khaleda Zia’s demise: Her sacrifice and uncompromising role will be remembered by history

Despite all efforts by physicians, former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia passed away yesterday, Tuesday.

The nation is observing three days of state mourning following her death. We believe that this loss has created an irreparable void not only for her party, the BNP, but also for Bangladesh’s democracy and politics. We express our deepest condolences to her bereaved family.

In political movements, Khaleda Zia had long been known as an uncompromising figure because of her leadership. However, in her later years, she transcended that image to become a symbol of national unity.

Two decades after the liberation war, in 1991, she was elected prime minister in what was, in real terms, Bangladesh’s first free and democratic election held under a neutral government.

Over the course of her long political career, she served two more times as prime minister and twice as leader of the opposition in parliament.

Despite imprisonment, repression, persecution and personal losses resulting from political vendettas, the steadfastness with which she held her ground reflected her firm commitment to the people of the country and to democracy.

Khaleda Zia entered politics under exceptional circumstances following the assassination of BNP founder and then president Ziaur Rahman on 30 May 1981 by a group of misguided army personnel.

She joined the BNP in 1982, marking the beginning of a political journey spanning more than four decades.

Although she was accorded a position of honour in the party as the widow of the late president, she firmly established herself as an uncompromising political leader through her role in the movement against general Ershad’s military rule.

Her party, the BNP, did not participate in the third and fourth National Parliamentary Elections of 1986 and 1988, which were held to legitimise the rule of the military dictator Ershad.

Within just 10 years of entering politics, Khaleda Zia led her party to a single-party majority in the 1991 National Parliamentary Election and formed the government.

She thus secured her place in history as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister. In a country marked by a deeply entrenched patriarchal environment, this achievement was exceptional in many respects and was attained through her own distinct political identity.

Khaleda Zia also played an important role in transforming Bangladesh’s system of governance from a presidential to a parliamentary one.

Over her 43 year political career, Khaleda Zia served at different times both in government and in opposition.

Political leadership often necessitates decisions driven by political considerations, many of which invite controversy and criticism. Like all political leaders, Khaleda Zia was not above such scrutiny.

Khaleda Zia departed at a critical juncture in Bangladesh’s politics, when her experience and wisdom were needed more than ever before.

As a consequence of the prolonged authoritarian rule of the previous government, Bangladesh’s society and politics are currently deeply divided and polarised.

Although Hasina’s autocratic rule ended through the mass uprising of 2024, political uncertainty is yet to be resolved.

The 13th National Parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for 12 February are of vital importance for Bangladesh’s democratic transition.

Beyond democratic transition, liberating Bangladeshi society from the cycle of division is essential for the country’s development and progress.

This constitutes a grave responsibility for the next elected government. At this critical transitional moment in Bangladesh’s history, the nation will acutely feel the absence of Khaleda Zia.

Farewell, Khaleda Zia. History will long remember her sacrifice and uncompromising role in Bangladesh’s politics.