Khaleda Zia, a radiant star in Bangladesh’s political arena, who crossed the threshold of her home into politics at a critical juncture in history. From an ordinary housewife, she transformed into the “unyielding leader”. She is a woman whose footsteps are inscribed with the poetry of struggle, determination, and unwavering patriotism.
After the sudden martyrdom of her husband, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, the proclaimer of independence, few imagined that her silent grief would one day become the voice of an entire nation.
Entry into Politics
On 30 May, 1981, when Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in Chittagong (now Chattogram), the BNP was left seemingly leaderless. In this vacuum, Khaleda Zia joined the party as a primary member on 3 January, 1982. Barely two and a half months later, when HM Ershad imposed martial law on 24 March, she abandoned the safety of her home and took to the streets. Draped in the black veil of mourning, she became a symbol of protest against dictatorship.
On 10 May, 1984, she was elected chairperson of the BNP unopposed. Since then, her nine-year relentless struggle to restore democracy began.
Anti-Ershad Movement against Dictatorship
The golden chapter of Khaleda Zia’s political life was the anti-Ershad movement. In 1983, under her leadership, a seven-party alliance was formed. During this time, she was never swayed by temptations nor ensnared by compromise. The price of her uncompromising stance was repeated arrests, long periods of house arrest, and persecution. She was imprisoned three times—in 1983, 1984, and 1987. For years, she was virtually confined to her residence on Shaheed Mainul Road in the cantonment.
In the historic mass uprising of 1990, shoulder to shoulder with Sheikh Hasina’s alliance, she forced Ershad to relinquish power. On 6 December of that year, Ershad resigned. That day remains inscribed in golden letters in Bangladesh’s democratic history, thanks to Khaleda Zia’s uncompromising struggle.
First Female PM Khaleda Zia
In the 1991 parliamentary elections, the BNP won a majority. Contesting from five constituencies, Khaleda Zia won all of them and took oath as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister. During her first term, the country returned to parliamentary democracy.
In 1996, she introduced the caretaker government system and handed over power—an extraordinary testament to her deep respect for democracy.
In 2001, following the sweeping victory of the four-party alliance, she became prime minister for the second time. Across her two terms, Khaleda Zia played an unforgettable role in introducing free primary education, achieving food self-sufficiency, laying the foundation for the Jamuna Bridge, and revitalising SAARC.
However, her government faced criticism for the deterioration of law and order, the rise of religious militancy including the notorious “Bangla Bhai,” coordinated attacks on court premises nationwide, and most notably, the grenade attack on opposition leader Sheikh Hasina.
Military-Backed Caretaker Era
In 2007, during the military-backed caretaker government, Khaleda Zia was arrested once again. At that time, Bangladesh witnessed the controversial “Minus Two Formula”— an attempt to exile both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina from politics. Despite repeated efforts to send her abroad, she remained steadfast and declared firmly: “I have no address abroad.” After nearly a year in prison, she was finally released in 2008.
Awami League Rule (2009-2024)
When the Awami League returned to power in 2009, repression against the BNP intensified. As the party’s top leader, Khaleda Zia herself faced the government’s wrath. She was charged in multiple cases.
On 8 February, 2018, in the Zia Orphanage Trust case, a lower court sentenced her to five years in prison. She was confined once again in the old Dhaka Central Jail, later receiving further sentences in other cases.
Falling ill in prison, Khaleda Zia repeatedly sought permission to go abroad for treatment, but the government denied her. She was not even allowed to seek care in private hospitals within the country. Her health steadily deteriorated.
Finally, in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government suspended her sentence by executive order and released her, with conditions: she could not engage in politics, nor travel abroad. During this period under Awami League rule, she remained under house arrest at her Gulshan residence, receiving treatment.
On 5 August, 2024, after the fall of the Awami League government, Khaleda Zia was acquitted of all cases in court. From that day, she was a free woman, though by then her health had severely declined, leaving her physically frail and unable to move normally.
Khaleda Zia Legacy
Khaleda Zia’s life is an extraordinary tale of turning grief into strength, sorrow into indomitable spirit. She proved that when a woman dedicates herself to her motherland, even dictatorship bows its head. The three-time prime minister, multiple times leader of the opposition, many times imprisoned—yet on the questions of democracy and patriotism, her stance remained uncompromising.
As long as democracy and nationalism are spoken of in Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia’s name will be uttered as a symbol of respect, pride, and unwavering struggle.
