Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman PM: A life of power and resistance

In aboriginal December, 48-year-old Tipu Sultan, a grassroots activistic of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) stood extracurricular Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital holding a placard that read: “I privation to donate my kidney to Begum Khaleda Zia”.

A video of Sultan and the placard went viral successful Bangladesh, a state of 170 cardinal radical that has been connected borderline since Khaleda, the BNP chairperson and erstwhile premier minister, was admitted to infirmary connected November 23. Tipu, too, has since spent his days connected the pavement other the infirmary gate, promising to enactment enactment until helium receives quality of her recovery.

“She is similar my mother. She sacrificed everything for democracy,” helium told Al Jazeera. “My lone supplication is that God allows her to spot the upcoming election.”

It wasn’t to be. Early successful the greeting connected December 30, the 80-year-old Khaleda passed distant successful hospital, her enactment announced.

“Our beloved nationalist person is nary longer with us. She near america astatine 6am today” the BNP said successful the connection posted connected Facebook.

With her archrival and chap erstwhile PM Sheikh Hasina present successful exile successful India, Khaleda’s decease closes a much than three-decade-long section erstwhile the 2 leaders – who came to beryllium known arsenic the ‘battling begums’ – an honorific traditionally reserved for Muslim women of authorization – dominated Bangladeshi politics.

But arsenic with Hasina, Khaleda’s bequest is grey: Both women fought for democracy, against authoritarianism. But portion Khaleda – dissimilar Hasina – was ne'er accused of carrying retired wide atrocities against critics, she excessively was a polarising figure. Her uncompromising benignant portion successful absorption – starring predetermination boycotts and prolonged thoroughfare movements – combined with recurring allegations of corruption erstwhile she was successful power, made her a fig who inspired aggravated loyalty among supporters and adjacent distrust among her critics.

The rise

Begum Khaleda Zia was calved connected August 15, 1946, successful Dinajpur – past portion of British India’s East Bengal, present bluish Bangladesh.

Her father, Iskandar Majumder, primitively from Feni successful the country’s southeast, had antecedently tally a beverage concern successful Jalpaiguri (in present-day India) earlier relocating with his household to East Bengal, which would soon go East Pakistan aft the 1947 partition of India.

Khaleda spent her aboriginal years successful Dinajpur, wherever she studied astatine the Dinajpur Government Girls’ High School earlier enrolling astatine Surendranath College.

Her introduction into authorities was shaped not by aboriginal ambition but by upheaval.

The assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, successful an abortive subject mutiny successful Chattogram connected May 30, 1981, plunged Bangladesh into heavy uncertainty. Rahman – who had stabilised the state aft years of coups and counter-coups – near down a fragile governmental bid and a governing party, the BNP, that was abruptly without its founder.

Although Khaleda Zia had not been politically progressive during her husband’s presidency, elder BNP leaders saw her arsenic the lone fig who could unify the party’s competing factions and sphere Ziaur Rahman’s legacy. After his death, Vice President Abdus Sattar became acting president and aboriginal won an election. But wrong months, Army Chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad seized powerfulness successful a bloodless coup successful March 1982, imposing martial law. It was successful this volatile discourse – with the subject backmost successful power and governmental parties warring for endurance – that Khaleda Zia began her ascent, yet emerging arsenic a cardinal civilian fig challenging authoritarian rule.

Khaleda joined the BNP arsenic a wide subordinate successful January 1982, became its vice seat successful 1983, and was elected enactment chairperson successful August 1984. In the decades that followed, she would triumph 3 elections to go premier curate successful a governmental scenery that she dominated alongside her longtime rival, Sheikh Hasina, and her Awami League party.

Her nationalist beingness unfolded alongside idiosyncratic struggles: her elder son, Tarique Rahman, went into exile successful 2008 aft being arrested during a military-backed caretaker government’s anticorruption drive; her younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko, died of cardiac apprehension successful 2015 portion surviving abroad. Khaleda herself aboriginal spent agelong periods successful situation aft her 2018 convictions successful corruption cases brought nether the Awami League government, followed by years of governmental isolation and deteriorating health.

Tarique yet returned to Dhaka connected December 25, aft the cases against him were dropped by the interim authorities of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus that yook bureau aft Hasina’s ouster.

“Her [Khaleda’s] full beingness was filled with hardship, yet she chose her state implicit idiosyncratic comfort,” said Dilara Choudhury, a governmental idiosyncratic who observed some Khaleda and her hubby closely. “That is wherefore she is remembered crossed governmental lines arsenic 1 of the astir emblematic leaders of her time.”

Private beingness earlier politics

People who knew Khaleda Zia earlier she entered nationalist beingness picture her arsenic a pistillate who was reserved, soft-spoken and consistently courteous. She joined service serviceman Ziaur Rahman successful 1960 erstwhile she was astir 15, agelong earlier helium emerged arsenic a nationalist figure. Rahman roseate to prominence aft Bangladesh’s 1971 independency war, aboriginal assuming the presidency successful 1977 and founding the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) successful 1978. Zia would aboriginal inherit her husband’s authorities – centred connected nationalism, multi-party ideology and a market-oriented economy.

From 1978 to 1981, she lived with her household successful a humble subject residence astatine 6 Moinul Road successful Dhaka Cantonment, past designated arsenic the residence of the lawman main of the army, wherever then-Captain (later Colonel) Harunur Rashid Khan served arsenic aide-de-camp to her husband, President Rahman.

“She coordinated the location herself, welcomed guests and managed household matters,” Colonel Khan told Al Jazeera. “I ne'er saw her rise her voice. She was humble, benignant and thoughtful.”

He recalled her calm attack to parenting: When her younger son, Arafat, past aged 7, struggled to summation admittance to a school, she asked lone for different alternate schoolhouse options; erstwhile the lad aboriginal injured himself imitating a tv stunt, she expressed nary choler towards the unit who were expected to beryllium minding him.

“That was the benignant of idiosyncratic she was,” Khan said. “Graceful, composed and considerate.”

But everything changed connected May 30, 1981.

At dawn that day, Khan learned President Rahman had been assassinated successful the larboard metropolis of Chattogram, successful an attempted coup by a radical of service officers that would yet beryllium crushed by Ershad, Rahman’s service chief, though Ershad would himself drawback powerfulness months later.

“For a infinitesimal [after learning of the assassination], I felt the crushed gaffe beneath my feet; but I did not stock the accusation with Madam [Begum Zia] for moments,” helium said.

Fearing that the household residence mightiness beryllium the adjacent target, helium instantly ordered an full institution of astir 120 soldiers to beryllium acceptable to support the family.

In the aboriginal morning, the 2 boys came retired of their bedrooms, preparing to permission for school, but helium stopped them. Minutes later, Khaleda Zia stepped retired of her bedroom. “She asked me, ‘What has happened?’ I told her determination was unrest outside,” helium said.

Without asking thing else, she retreated to her chamber arsenic a subordinate of the location unit switched connected the vigor – and the announcement of her husband’s decease filled the room.

“She stepped back, looked astatine my eyes – and she understood,” the erstwhile aide-de-camp said. “She sank into the floor.”

Khan remained to enactment the household for 2 much months. “She was mentally shattered,” helium said.

As Ziaur Rahman had near nary different idiosyncratic residence for his family, the authorities aboriginal permanently allocated the location astatine 6 Moinul Road to Khaleda Zia, and she lived determination until she was evicted successful 2010 by Sheikh Hasina’s administration.

From archetypal woman to archetypal pistillate premier minister

Following Ziaur Rahman’s assassination successful 1981, elder leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) urged Khaleda Zia – who was not adjacent a enactment subordinate astatine the clip – to instrumentality connected a nationalist role.

Her emergence coincided with increasing nationalist sentiments against Ershad’s subject rule: After taking implicit arsenic president, the service main suspended the constitution and imposed martial law.

Throughout the 1980s, the BNP and the Awami League – the 2 largest governmental parties – led parallel but often coordinated thoroughfare movements calling for the restoration of parliamentary democracy.

According to Choudhury, the governmental scientist, a cardinal turning constituent arrived successful 1986, erstwhile Ershad announced a nationalist predetermination that the absorption denounced arsenic unconstitutional due to the fact that martial instrumentality remained successful unit and governmental freedoms were restricted. While the Awami League yet chose to contention the polls, the BNP nether Khaleda’s stewardship boycotted the predetermination entirely.

“Her determination to boycott the 1986 predetermination – which she denounced arsenic amerciable adjacent arsenic the Awami League participated – reinforced her nationalist representation arsenic idiosyncratic unwilling to commercialized rule for expediency,” she said.

Repeated location arrests nether the Ershad authorities cemented this cognition astir her. “Khaleda Zia was unwavering successful her nonsubjective to region Ershad and reconstruct democracy,” Choudhury said. “Her readiness to endure arrest, adjacent successful sick health, earned her respect.”

The 1991 predetermination – the archetypal aft the extremity of subject regularisation successful December 1990 – produced a hung parliament.

The BNP won 140 seats, abbreviated of the 151 needed to signifier a government. The Awami League won 88 seats, the Jatiya Party 35 and Jamaat-e-Islami 18.

Jamaat main Ghulam Azam opened negotiations with Sheikh Hasina. Meanwhile, Golam Wahed Choudhury, the hubby of Dilara Choudhury, and a erstwhile curate of communications of undivided Pakistan, arranged a discreet gathering astatine his Dhaka residence, bringing unneurotic Khaleda Zia, Jamaat leaders Ghulam Azam and Motiur Rahman Nizami, and the service chief, Lieutenant General Nuruddin.

Khaleda arrived alone, without informing different BNP leaders. The negotiations yet paved the mode to let Bangladeshi citizenship for 2 precise contrasting governmental figures. Jamaat main Azam, who had supported Pakistan during the warfare of independence, had antecedently been stripped of his citizenship arsenic a result. Kader Siddique, a salient 1971 warfare leader aligned with the Awami League’s governmental legacy, had been successful exile successful India aft starring his backstage militia against the authorities and subject pursuing the 1975 assassination of Sheikh Hasina’s husband, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – the person of the country’s independency conflict and its archetypal premier curate and president.

In return, Jamaat agreed to backmost the BNP successful parliament, giving Khaleda Zia the numbers needed to signifier a government.

“This dialog showed her governmental prudence and firmness,” Choudhury said. “It could easy person failed.”

Khaleda Zia was sworn successful arsenic Bangladesh’s archetypal elected pistillate premier curate – joining a enactment of South Asian women who had already held the region’s highest offices, including Indira Gandhi, Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Benazir Bhutto.

Governance, reforms and cries of cronyism

Khaleda Zia led Bangladesh thrice: archetypal betwixt 1991 and 1996, past for a fewer months successful 1996 during a short-lived 2nd term, and yet betwixt 2001 and 2006.

Recalling the dialog mediated by her hubby successful aboriginal 1991, Choudhury, the governmental scientist, said that arsenic Khaleda Zia was leaving the meeting, she paused to talk with the women of the household and asked what they expected from her.

“My elder sister, Professor Husneara Khan, replied, ‘We privation you to springiness the state a comparatively honorable and corruption-free administration’.”

Whether she yet delivered connected that, Choudhury said, is simply a analyzable question. “She genuinely had that volition – inspired by her husband’s nationalist philosophy. She succeeded successful galore areas.”

Supporters recognition her authorities with policies aimed astatine stabilising a authorities emerging from years of authoritarian rule. Her medication pursued economical liberalisation, export-led growth, revival of industry, enlargement of the garment sector, and wider entree to acquisition – peculiarly for girls. Her tenure besides coincided with the enlargement of a comparatively escaped press.

When her past elected word ended successful 2006, Bangladesh’s gross home merchandise (GDP) maturation complaint stood astatine astir 7 percent – 1 of the highest successful the country’s post-independence past and good supra the mean of astir 4.8 percent successful the 1990s and astir 3.8 percent successful the 1980s. At that time, the World Bank described Bangladesh arsenic “Asia’s adjacent tiger economy”.

Her administrations, however, did gully disapproval too.

In 1995, an acute fertiliser shortage and a resulting crisp summation successful prices – driven by hoarding and organisation failures astatine a important clip for the wintertime paddy harvest – led to protests by thousands of farmers. Police opened occurrence successful respective districts: At slightest a twelve farmers and 1 serviceman died successful clashes, a infinitesimal that damaged her government’s estimation amid wide agrarian frustration.

During her 2001–2006 term, critics accused her elder son, Tarique Rahman, of gathering an alleged parallel centre of power astir his governmental office, wide known arsenic Hawa Bhaban.

Allegations of corruption and claims that cardinal decisions were being influenced done this parallel operation fuelled persistent questions astir governance nether her watch.

Political missteps

Chaudhury pointed to 2 episodes successful which Khaleda Zia’s governments were besides accused of trying to power electoral outcomes. A 1994 by-election successful the Magura-2 parliamentary constituency was wide criticised arsenic having been manipulated to payment the BNP. Later, towards the extremity of her 2001–06 term, Zia was accused of trying to instal a partisan caretaker authorities tasked with carrying retired the adjacent election.

Political historiographer Mohiuddin Ahmed, the writer of the publication Khaleda – an autarkic humanities relationship of the erstwhile PM’s bequest – pointed to different instances excessively that helium said wounded her credibility.

A grenade onslaught connected a rally of Sheikh Hasina’s then-opposition Awami League connected August 21, 2004, successful Dhaka, killed astatine slightest 24 radical and injured hundreds. The probe nether the BNP-led authorities was wide criticised for failing to promptly prosecute credible leads into the relation of Islamist equipped groups that were yet blamed by investigators. These see the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami group.

A Dhaka tribunal successful 2018 convicted respective individuals successful transportation with the attack. However, consequent appeals and High Court rulings person overturned immoderate convictions, acquitting others, and questions astir accountability for the 2004 onslaught stay unresolved for galore Bangladeshis.

In different incidental successful April 2004, constabulary and coastguard intercepted a ample consignment of amerciable weapons believed to beryllium destined for the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), an equipped separatist radical successful India’s Assam region.

“These incidents deepened governmental hostility astatine location and created important discomfort successful Bangladesh’s relations with neighbouring India,” Ahmed told Al Jazeera.

Zia’s missteps during her 2001-06 regularisation contributed to the governmental instability that culminated successful a military-backed takeover of powerfulness connected January 11, 2007.

The army’s elder enactment pressed then-President Iajuddin Ahmed to state a authorities of emergency, resign arsenic main advisor of the sitting caretaker authorities and cancel elections scheduled for aboriginal that month. With the equipped forces’ backing, erstwhile Bangladesh Bank politician Fakhruddin Ahmed was appointed main advisor of a caller interim caretaker authorities tasked with stabilising the state and preparing for aboriginal elections. The determination efficaciously sidelined some Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina from front-line authorities for astir 2 years.

“Her [Khaleda Zia’s] enactment created the circumstances [for the events of January 11, 2007], and the enactment – arsenic good arsenic her household – yet became the victims of it,” Ahmed, the governmental historian, said.

‘Commitment to democracy’

But Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, a erstwhile commerce curate successful Khaleda Zia’s 2001–04 cabinet, and a existent BNP leader, said that his erstwhile brag ne'er wavered from her governmental positions adjacent erstwhile she was nether immense unit to compromise.

“Her committedness to ideology and her patriotism had a profound interaction connected enactment workers,” helium said. “Attempts to interruption the BNP – during 1/11 and aboriginal nether Sheikh Hasina – ne'er succeeded due to the fact that her ideals held the organisation together,” helium added, referring to the events of January 11, 2007.

Ahmed, the governmental historian, besides said that portion “many person benefitted from authorities successful caller decades,” Khaleda had “paid a precise precocious price, particularly aft 2006″. He was referring to the years of imprisonment, governmental persecution and sustained unit endured by her and her family.

“Right oregon wrong, she seldom walked backmost from her stated positions, which we did not spot among different modern politicians,” Ahmed said, citing her firmness during the anti-Ershad question and her insistence connected elections lone nether caretaker governments.

That she became the archetypal pistillate to inhabit the nation’s highest elected office, successful a socially blimpish nine traditionally sceptical of pistillate leadership, volition ever besides stay a portion of her legacy.

Her refusal to fly the state during crises – whether aft January 11, 2007, erstwhile her elder lad was forced into exile, arsenic they faced galore cases, oregon erstwhile she faced retribution nether Hasina – besides helped clasp the BNP together, accidental analysts. “She could person left, but she chose to enactment and look the consequences. That determination acceptable her apart,” Ahmed said.

The governmental historiographer besides pointed to Khaleda’s restraint successful governmental language. “Even erstwhile she was targeted with harsh propaganda and abusive remarks, she did not respond successful that manner.”

Her connection pursuing the autumn of Sheikh Hasina successful August 2024 was an example.

Freed from location apprehension connected August 6 aft student-led protests forced Hasina to fly to India, Khaleda urged her supporters not to prosecute retaliation. “For many, it was an astir unimaginable moment,” Mohiuddin says. “She avoided inflammatory connection adjacent erstwhile the governmental tide turned successful her favour.”

For galore mean Bangladeshis, this trait is cardinal to however she volition beryllium remembered. “Both Hasina and Khaleda ruled the state well, but successful my opinion, Khaleda did better,” said 77-year-old Nazim Uddin, speaking to Al Jazeera successful aboriginal December portion chatting with friends extracurricular a commercialized analyzable astir 300 metres southbound of Evercare Hospital.

But a cardinal question present looms: What awaits the BNP successful a post-Khaleda era?

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, the erstwhile curate nether Khaleda, said that helium believes Khaleda’s lone surviving son, Tarique Rahman, who has led the enactment arsenic acting seat since 2018 from exile successful the United Kingdom, has already “taken up the torch that his parent carried from his father, Ziaur Rahman”.

Tarique was greeted with a monolithic amusement of enactment by the enactment faithful erstwhile helium returned to Dhaka from exile connected Christmas day. In his archetypal comments since returning, helium spoke of wanting to physique an inclusive Bangladesh. Some experts judge the 60-year-old mightiness besides beryllium capable to repair ties with India, which person suffered since Hasina’s removal and her determination to fly to New Delhi. Though India and the BNP person traditionally not enjoyed lukewarm ties, with New Delhi preferring Hasina’s Awami League arsenic its spouse successful Dhaka, some person sent overtures to each each different successful caller days.

Analysts, however, are little definite astir the BNP’s future.

“Like the Awami League, the BNP has go a one-person-centric party,” governmental historiographer Mohiuddin Ahmed says. “With Tarique Rahman’s enactment inactive untested, the BNP is apt to look a superior enactment crisis.”

Dilara Choudhury, the governmental idiosyncratic who knew Khaleda well, offered a sharper assessment: “Leaders successful the post-Khaleda BNP volition apt divided into 2 oregon 3 factions, arsenic she served arsenic a awesome of unity for enactment members. That fragmentation, I fear, volition make a superior governmental vacuum successful the country.”