Khaleda Zia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Khaleda Zia
খালেদা জিয়া
Begum Zia in 2010
9th Prime Minister of Bangladesh
In office 10 October 2001 – 29 October 2006
President	Shahabuddin Ahmed Badruddoza Chowdhury Iajuddin Ahmed
Preceded by	Latifur Rahman (as Chief Adviser)
Succeeded by	Iajuddin Ahmed (as Chief Adviser)
In office 20 March 1991 – 30 March 1996
President	Shahabuddin Ahmed (acting) Abdur Rahman Biswas
Preceded by	Kazi Zafar Ahmed
Succeeded by	Muhammad Habibur Rahman (as Chief Adviser)
3rd Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 May 1984
General Secretary	Mustafizur Rahman KM Obaidur Rahman Abdus Salam Talukder Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan Khandaker Delwar Hossain Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
Preceded by	Abdus Sattar
4th Leader of the Opposition
In office 29 December 2008 – 9 January 2014
Prime Minister	Sheikh Hasina
Preceded by	Sheikh Hasina
Succeeded by	Rowshan Ershad
In office 23 June 1996 – 15 July 2001
Prime Minister	Sheikh Hasina
Preceded by	Sheikh Hasina
Succeeded by	Sheikh Hasina
2nd First Lady of Bangladesh
In role 21 April 1977 – 30 May 1981
President	Ziaur Rahman
Preceded by	Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib
Succeeded by	Rowshan Ershad
7th Leader of the House
In office 10 October 2001 – 29 October 2006
Preceded by	Sheikh Hasina
Succeeded by	Sheikh Hasina
In office 20 March 1991 – 30 March 1996
Preceded by	Kazi Zafar Ahmed
Succeeded by	Sheikh Hasina
Member of Parliament
In office 29 December 2008 – 9 January 2014
Preceded by	Sayeed Iskander
Succeeded by	Shirin Akhter
Constituency	Feni-1
In office 1 October 2001 – 29 October 2006
Preceded by	Zafar Imam
Succeeded by	Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar
Constituency	Bogra-6
In office 20 March 1991 – 15 July 2001
Preceded by	Zafar Imam
Succeeded by	Sayeed Iskander
Constituency	Feni-1
Personal details
Born	Khaleda Khanam Putul (1945-08-15) 15 August 1945 (age 79) Jalpaiguri, Bengal, British India
Political party	Bangladesh Nationalist Party (1979–present)
Other political affiliations	Four Party Alliance (2001–2011) 18 Party Alliance (2011–2022) Jatiya Oikya Front (2018–2022)
Spouse	Ziaur Rahman ​ ​ (m. 1960; died 1981)​
Children	Tarique Arafat
Relatives	See Majumder–Zia family
Awards	Full list
Signature

Begum Khaleda Zia (born in 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician. She served as the prime minister of Bangladesh twice, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh. She was also the second female prime minister in the Muslim world, after Benazir Bhutto.

Khaleda Zia is the widow of Ziaur Rahman, a former president of Bangladesh. She has been the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 1984. Her husband founded this party in 1978.

Khaleda Zia became well-known as the First Lady of Bangladesh when her husband became president in 1977. After his death in 1981, she entered politics and began leading the BNP. She played a key role in the movement for democracy that led to the end of military rule in 1990.

She became prime minister after her party won the 1991 election. Her party also won again in 2001. She has been elected to parliament five times. Since the 1980s, her main political rival has been Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Awami League. They are the only two people who have served as prime minister of Bangladesh since 1991.

In 2004, Forbes magazine listed her among the "100 Most Powerful Women in the World." She was ranked 14th in 2004, 29th in 2005, and 33rd in 2006.

In 2018, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to prison in some cases. However, on November 27, 2024, she was found not guilty in these cases. She was released from prison in March 2020 for medical reasons. On August 5, 2024, she was fully released after a large public movement.

Personal Life and Family

Early Life and Education

Khaleda Khanam "Putul" was born in 1945 in Jalpaiguri, which was then part of British India. Her family later moved to Dinajpur, which is now in Bangladesh. Her father, Iskandar Ali Majumder, was a tea businessman. Her mother was Taiyaba Majumder.

Khaleda Zia describes herself as "self-educated." She attended Dinajpur Missionary School and later Dinajpur Girls' School. In 1960, she married Ziaur Rahman, who was a captain in the Pakistan Army at the time. After marriage, she changed her name to Khaleda Zia.

Family

Zia with husband Ziaur Rahman in 1979

Zia in 1979

Khaleda Zia has two sons. Her first son, Tarique Rahman (born 1967), became involved in politics. He is now the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Her second son, Arafat Rahman "Koko" (born 1969), passed away in 2015.

Her sister, Khurshid Jahan (1939–2006), served as the Minister of Women and Children Affairs from 2001 to 2006. Her younger brother, Sayeed Iskander (1953–2012), was also a politician. He was a member of parliament from 2001 to 2006.

Involvement in Politics

Khaleda Zia's husband, President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated on May 30, 1981. After his death, she joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on January 2, 1982. This party was founded by her husband. She became the vice-chairman in March 1983.

Anti-Ershad Movement

In March 1982, the head of the Bangladesh Army, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, took control of the country. This started a nine-year period of military rule.

Khaleda Zia immediately protested against this military government. She became the Senior Vice-President of BNP by May 1983. Under her leadership, the BNP worked with six other parties to form a '7 party alliance' in September 1983. This alliance aimed to protest against Ershad's rule.

On September 30, 1983, Khaleda Zia led a large public rally. On November 28, 1983, she took part in a protest where people surrounded the Secretariat building in Dhaka. The police stopped the protest, and she was placed under house arrest.

In January 1984, Khaleda Zia became the chief of the BNP. She then led the movement against Ershad. In 1984, she called for country-wide rallies and protests. Many activists were injured or died during these protests. In March 1985, the government tightened martial law and again put Khaleda Zia under house arrest.

Boycotting the 1986 Election

To ease political pressure, Ershad announced an election for 1986. Khaleda Zia declared this election illegal and asked people not to participate. She was put under house arrest just before the election. Her strong stand against the military government made her known as an "Uncompromising leader."

Later that year, she was again placed under house arrest before the 1986 presidential election.

Fall of Ershad

Khaleda Zia was put under house arrest many times between 1986 and 1990 by Ershad's government. She continued to lead protests to remove Ershad from power.

On October 10, 1990, a student leader from BNP's student wing died during a protest. This event led to a bigger alliance among all opposition groups. After two months of protests, the BNP, led by Khaleda Zia, along with other parties, forced Ershad to resign on December 4, 1990.

Premiership

Khaleda Zia served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh three times. Her first term was from March 1991 to February 1996. Her second term was very short in 1996. Her third term was from October 2001 to October 2006. She is remembered for making education more available and for introducing important economic changes.

First Term

After eight years of Ershad's rule, elections were held on February 27, 1991. The BNP won 140 seats. Khaleda Zia became the country's first female prime minister on March 20, 1991. The parliament then changed the constitution to make Bangladesh a parliamentary system again.

Educational Reforms

When Khaleda Zia became prime minister in 1991, most Bangladeshi children received only about two years of schooling. For every three boys, there was only one girl in classrooms. Her government worked hard to improve education. They made primary education free and required for all children. Education was also made free for girls up to the 10th grade.

To pay for these changes, the education budget was increased by 60% in 1994. This was the largest increase among all government sectors. As a result of these policies, the number of students passing exams greatly increased.

Economic Reforms

Her first government brought in major economic changes. These included introducing a Value Added Tax (VAT) and creating new laws for banks. They also set up a privatization board in 1993. Bangladesh also joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1993.

A new export processing zone was opened near Dhaka in 1993 to attract foreign businesses.

Administrative Reforms

To meet public demand, Zia's government passed a law allowing city mayors to be directly elected by voters. Before this, mayors were chosen by elected ward councilors. Her administration also changed the local government system to improve development activities.

Second Term

In the February 1996 election, other parties did not participate. Zia's party, BNP, won almost all seats. However, major parties demanded a neutral government to oversee elections. So, the parliament quickly passed a law to create a caretaker government. The parliament was then dissolved for new elections.

In the June 1996 elections, BNP lost to Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. BNP became the largest opposition party.

Third Term

Zia with the President of Brazil Lula da Silva (2004)

Zia with the Prime Minister of Japan Jun'ichirō Koizumi in Tokyo (2005)

Zia with the Indian Leader of Opposition L. K. Advani in New Delhi (2006)

The BNP formed an alliance with three other parties in 1999 to improve its chances in the next election. This alliance included the Jatiya Party and two Islamic parties. They protested against the ruling Awami League.

The four-party alliance won the October 1, 2001, general elections. They won two-thirds of the seats in parliament. Khaleda Zia was sworn in as Prime Minister again.

During this term, Bangladesh attracted more international investment. This helped develop the country's infrastructure, energy, and businesses. Her government also worked to improve law and order.

Zia promoted friendly relations with neighboring countries. She worked to increase cooperation in South Asia. Her government also supported the UN Charter of Human Rights. Bangladesh started taking part in United Nations peacekeeping efforts. In 2006, Forbes magazine praised her government's achievements. Her government worked to educate young girls and provide food for the poor. They also supported strong economic growth.

When Zia became prime minister for the third time, Bangladesh's economy grew by over 6 percent. The average income per person increased. Foreign investment also grew significantly.

Her term ended on October 29, 2006. A caretaker government was supposed to manage the country until new elections. However, political problems caused delays. In January 2007, the military stepped in to support the caretaker government. This government stayed in power until elections were held in December 2008.

Foreign Policy

• Saudi Arabia: In August 2012, Zia visited Saudi Arabia. She met with the Saudi crown prince to discuss relations between the two countries. She also worked to help Bangladeshi workers get better access to jobs in Saudi Arabia.
• People's Republic of China: She visited People's Republic of China in October 2012. She met with Chinese leaders to talk about trade and possible Chinese investments in Bangladesh. They discussed funding for the Padma Bridge.
• India: On October 28, 2012, Zia visited India. She met with the Indian President, Prime Minister, and other officials. They discussed trade and regional security. Zia stated that her party wanted to work with India for mutual benefit.

Post-Premiership (since 2006)

Detention during the Caretaker Government

In January 2007, a new caretaker government took over. In March, Zia's eldest son, Tarique Rahman, was arrested. In April, her other son, Arafat Rahman, was also arrested.

On September 3, 2007, the government filed charges against Zia. She was arrested and held in a temporary prison. She was released on bail on September 11, 2008.

In December 2008, new elections were held. Zia's party lost to the Awami League. Sheikh Hasina became prime minister. Zia became the leader of the opposition in parliament.

Eviction from the Cantonment House

Zia's family had lived for 38 years in a house in Dhaka Cantonment. This was her husband's official home when he was in the army. After his death, she was allowed to live there for life.

However, on April 20, 2009, she was asked to leave the house. The government said she was using the house for political activities, which was against the rules. They also said a civilian cannot live in a cantonment. Zia left the house on November 13, 2010. She moved to her brother's home in Gulshan, Dhaka.

British Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham meeting Zia (2011)

Boycotting the 2014 Election

Zia's party decided not to participate in the 2014 Bangladeshi general election. They demanded that the election be held under a neutral caretaker government. However, the prime minister at the time, Sheikh Hasina, refused this demand. The Awami League won the election.

US Secretary John Kerry greets Zia at the US Embassy Dhaka (2016)

In 2017, police searched Zia's house for "anti-state" documents.

Charges and Imprisonment in 2018

On February 8, 2018, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to prison in a case. Her party said the decision was politically unfair. She was sent to Old Dhaka Central Jail. On October 31, 2018, her jail term was increased.

On October 30, 2018, she was sentenced to 7 years in another case. Khaleda Zia faced other cases as well.

Her applications to run in the 2018 Bangladeshi general election were rejected. She could not participate because of her conviction. Her party lost that election.

Zia was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for medical treatment on April 1, 2019. On March 25, 2020, she was released from prison for six months. This was on the condition that she would stay at her home and not leave the country. This release was extended several times.

After the government changed in 2024, she was found not guilty in several cases. On November 27, 2024, she was acquitted in two major cases. On January 15, 2025, she was acquitted in another case.

2024 Release

After Sheikh Hasina was removed as prime minister in August 2024, President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered Khaleda Zia's release. She then spoke publicly for the first time since 2018. She praised the people who fought for change and asked for peace in Bangladesh. On August 13, her police escort privileges were restored. On August 19, her bank accounts, which had been frozen since 2007, were unfrozen.

Illness

Khaleda Zia has several health issues, including kidney and liver problems, diabetes, and arthritis. In April 2021, she tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered. In November 2021, doctors announced she was suffering from liver cirrhosis. She has received treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka multiple times.

On January 7, 2025, Zia traveled to London for medical treatment on a special air ambulance. She was admitted to The London Clinic on January 8, 2025.

Electoral History

Birth Date Discrepancy

Khaleda Zia states August 15 as her birthday. This date is a topic of discussion in Bangladeshi politics. August 15 is the day many family members of her political rival, Sheikh Hasina, were killed. Because of these deaths, August 15 was officially declared National Mourning Day in Bangladesh during Sheikh Hasina's time in power.

None of Zia's official identification documents show her birthday as August 15. Her school certificate lists August 9, 1945, as her birth date. Her marriage certificate lists September 5, 1945. Her passport shows August 5, 1946. Some political allies have asked her not to celebrate her birthday on August 15.

A case was filed against Zia regarding her birth date. In 2024, she was found not guilty in this case.

Awards and Honours

• On May 24, 2011, the New Jersey State Senate honored Zia as a "Fighter for Democracy." This was the first time the state Senate had given such an honor to a foreign leader.
• On July 31, 2018, a group called Canadian Human Rights International Organization (CHRIO) gave her the 'Mother of Democracy' award.

Eponyms

Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia Hall at the University of Chittagong.

Several places are named after Begum Khaleda Zia:

• Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, a student residence at Islamic University, Kushtia.
• Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, a student residence at the University of Chittagong.
• Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, a student residence at Jahangirnagar University.
• Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, a student residence at the University of Rajshahi.

Images for kids

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  Begum Zia in 2010

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  Zia with husband Ziaur Rahman in 1979

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  Zia in 1979

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  Zia with the President of Brazil Lula da Silva (2004)

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  Zia with the Prime Minister of Japan Jun'ichirō Koizumi in Tokyo (2005)

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  Zia with the Indian Leader of Opposition L. K. Advani in New Delhi (2006)

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  British Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham meeting Zia (2011)

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  US Secretary John Kerry greets Zia at the US Embassy Dhaka (2016)

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  Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia Hall at the University of Chittagong.