Khaleda Zia: An illustrious political life

Known in Bangladeshi politics as the “uncompromising leader,” the people’s beloved leader, BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has surrendered to the ultimate truth of life.

Politicians’ lives are marked by rises and falls. Lawsuits, arrests, imprisonment, persecution, and attacks by rivals are part of a politician’s risks. Khaleda Zia endured such oppression and persecution. On top of that, she bore the profound grief of losing her husband and a child, as well as long-term illness.

During the Liberation War, she faced extreme hardship. Her husband, Ziaur Rahman, joined the struggle for the country’s independence, leaving Khaleda Zia with their two young sons in a precarious situation. She moved from Chattogram to Dhaka, constantly changing addresses and going into hiding, with help from others.

On 2 July 1971, Khaleda Zia was arrested from a house in Siddheshwari and held as a war prisoner at a military base by the Pakistani army. She had to endure those horrific and unbearable days of the war alone (Source: Khaleda: Mohiuddin Ahmed).

Later, in her political life, Khaleda Zia faced not only ideological conflicts but also personal vendettas, hostility, humiliation, and cruelty from her rivals. On 13 November 2010, she was evicted from a long-time, memory-laden residence at the military barracks. On that day, the nation saw her in tears before the media. Despite countless such incidents, she maintained extraordinary patience, inner strength, and dignity. The life she led with unwavering resolve and held her head high was not only remarkable but also inspiring. Khaleda Zia’s moral fortitude elevated her character, making her stature as majestic as that of the greatest figures.

It is no surprise that the news of such a person’s passing has caused deep grief and sorrow among the people of the country.

Khaleda Zia was born on 15 August 1946 in Dinajpur. Her father, Iskandar Majumdar, was from Shreepur village in Parshuram, Feni district, while her mother, Tayyeba Begum, was born in Chandanbari, Boda, Panchagarh district. Among their three daughters and two sons, Khaleda Zia was the third child. She was named Khaleda Khanam at birth. Known for her exceptional beauty, her family affectionately called her “Putul,” which became her nickname. She received her primary education at St Joseph’s Convent, later passing her matriculation from Dinajpur Government School and completing her intermediate (higher secondary) studies at Dinajpur Surendranath College.

According to various biographies of Khaleda Zia, she preferred to remain clean and well-groomed from childhood. She had a deep affection for flowers, often keeping her room tidy and decorated with them. In later life, she maintained this love for flowers, as well as her habits of cleanliness and orderliness. Many believe that her political life, too, reflected a unique elegance and grace of her own making.

On 5 August 1960, Khaleda Khanam married the young and astute army officer Captain Ziaur Rahman at her ancestral home in Balubari, Dinajpur. One of her biographers wrote about the wedding, noting that the matchmaker told Ziaur Rahman, “If you agree to marry her, you will not need electric lights in your house. The bride is so beautiful that her radiance will dispel all darkness.”

Hearing this, Ziaur Rahman laughed and agreed to the marriage. From then on, Khaleda Khanam became known as Khaleda Zia.

The Zia-Khaleda couple had two sons. Their elder son, Tarique Rahman, was born on 20 November 1965, and their younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko, was born on 12 August 1970. Koko passed away from a heart attack in Malaysia on 24 January 2015.

Ziaur Rahman became the country’s president in 1977 and was martyred on 30 March 1981 in a shooting by some misled members of the army. After just 21 years of marriage, Khaleda Zia faced widowhood at the age of 36.

Khaleda Zia maintained a moderate diet and enjoyed eating fruits, particularly drinking papaya juice regularly. Her favourite foods were plain rice, vegetables, lentils, and fish. She ate meat, though it was not her preference. She was also a good listener, paying close attention to others. Biographers note that “after taking on administrative responsibilities, she gradually became more prudent” (Begum Khaleda Zia: Life and Struggle, Mahfuz Ullah).

Many unexpected and sudden events occur in a person’s life. Khaleda Zia’s entry into politics was the result of one such inevitable turn of events. Ziaur Rahman had never encouraged his wife to take an interest in politics. After his death, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) became organisationally weak. Eventually, on 3 January 1982, Khaleda Zia joined the BNP, marking the beginning of her political career.

While maintaining party discipline and leadership, Khaleda Zia established her authority through the mass movement against Ershad. She did not immediately assume the party’s top position. She first became vice-chairperson, then acting chairperson, and eventually assumed the role of BNP chairperson. Over her 43-year political career, she led the country’s major political party, the BNP, as its top leader for 41 years.

The seven-party alliance was formed under Khaleda Zia’s leadership in 1983 during the anti-Ershad movement. In 1986, she became known as the “uncompromising leader” after fulfilling her commitment to the nation by not participating in the national election. From 1987, she launched the one point movement to remove Ershad from power.

After a long period of political struggle and movements, under her leadership, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won the fifth national parliament election held on 27 February 1991. Many had predicted that her opponents would emerge victorious, but those assumptions proved false, and the BNP’s victory affirmed her leadership beyond question.

As the country’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia was sworn in on the evening of 20 March 1991 at Bangabhaban before Acting President Shahabuddin Ahmed. She served as prime minister for a second term in 1996 and a third term in 2001. In addition, she led the opposition in the national parliament as its leader in 1996 and 2009.

From 1991 to 2008, Khaleda Zia contested elections in a total of 23 parliamentary constituencies and was never defeated in any of them. One of her biographers noted, “She travelled across the entire country. She was adept at undertaking long, arduous journeys. In December 2008, just 14 days before the national election, she had covered nearly 14,000 kilometres across the country.”

Although Khaleda Zia achieved many successes in her political career, she also faced criticism. In particular, she was widely accused by opposition parties of failing to effectively curb corruption. Allegations such as the so-called “Hawa Bhaban” and corruption concerns contributed to Bangladesh being ranked the world’s most corrupt country for five consecutive years (2001–2005), which tarnished the reputation of her administration.

At various points in her life, Khaleda Zia was subjected to political vengeance and persecution. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, from 2 July 1971 until the end of the conflict, she was held captive in a military camp. After Ziaur Rahman was martyred in 1981, she was placed under house arrest for a few days in a military residence. During the infamous “One-Eleven” period, she was arrested on 3 September 2007 and initially confined to a house on Shaheed Moinul Road within the Dhaka Cantonment. She was later transferred to a residence declared a sub-jail near the parliament, where she remained imprisoned for one year and seven days.

Khaleda Zia was sentenced in two corruption cases and sent to prison on 8 February 2018. The former prime minister remained incarcerated for over two years before being released on 25 March 2020 under an executive order issued by the then-government.

In January this year, Khaleda Zia received treatment in London, United Kingdom, and her health had improved to some extent. However, the complications of various illnesses and the strain on her body and mind left her weakened. She often fell seriously ill and was admitted to hospital several times. On 23 November, she was admitted for the last time to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. This time, she could not respond to treatment and accepted the ultimate truth. Honoured with the title of “Deshnetri,” Khaleda Zia bid farewell to her beloved people of the country.