Overview
- Khaleda Zia died at 6:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital after prolonged, multi‑organ illness, her party confirmed.
- The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus announced three days of national mourning, with funeral prayers at parliament’s South Plaza and burial beside Ziaur Rahman at Zia Udyan.
- India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the funeral after condolences from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Pakistan’s foreign minister also expected.
- Tarique Rahman returned from 17 years in exile days before her passing and is positioned to lead the BNP into the February 12, 2026 elections.
- Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, served in 1991–1996 and 2001–2006, was released in 2024 after Hasina’s ouster, and was acquitted of her final corruption case by the Supreme Court in January 2025.