India, Dec. 30 -- Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister and one of its most formidable political figures, died on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, after days of battling an illness. She was 80. Her party announced the tragic news of demise on its social media page, saying she passed away at around 6 am this morning, right after the Fajr prayers.

"We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul," the BNP said in a post on its Facebook page.

Zia went on to make history in 1991 when she became Bangladesh's first woman prime minister, leading the country after the restoration of parliamentary democracy. She served a second term from 2001 to 2006.

She is survived by her elder so...