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Khaleda Zia at Madurodam, the Hague -by Koen Suyk / Anefo-

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Khaleda Zia

Khaleda Zia was born in 1945 in Jalpaiguri, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day West Bengal, India).

She is a politician from Bangladesh who held the position of Prime Minister of Bangladesh twice, from 2001 to 2006 and 1991 to 1996.

She was Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and Ziaur Rahman’s wife, the former president of Bangladesh.

Zia is the current chairperson and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which was founded by Rahman in 1978.

In the general elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001, she was chosen to represent five different parliamentary constituencies.

Due to her adamant resistance to Ershad’s military dictatorship in the 1980s and her dedication to restoring democracy in Bangladesh, she earned the nickname “Uncompromising leader.”

She was honored as a 鈥淔ighter for Democracy鈥� by New Jersey鈥檚 State Senate in 2011.

Forbes magazine ranked Zia number 14 in 2004, number 29 in 2005, and number 33 in 2006 on its list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.

She was jailed for a total of 17 years for the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case and the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case in 2018.

In March 2020, she was released for six months period of suspension which was granted for the fifth time in March 2022. Here are 10 remarkable facts about Khaleda Zia.

1. She was married to the former President of Bangladesh

Mr. and Mrs. Zia 1979-by Suyk, Koen / Anefo-

Zia got married to Ziaur Rahman in 1960 who was then a captain in the Pakistan Army.

She then studied at Dinajpur Surendranath College until 1965 when she went to West Pakistan to stay with her husband.

Rahman served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981. He was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in Chittagong in an army coup d’茅tat.

2. Zia got involved in politics after her husband’s death

After her husband was assassinated in 1981 by military officers, she became politically active on 2 January 1982.

She first became a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the party which was founded by Rahman. In March 1983, she assumed control of the vice-chairman post.

She was arrested repeatedly during the dictatorship of Hussein Mohammad Ershad in the 1980s, but in 1991 she led the opposition to victory and became prime minister.

3. She held the position of Prime Minister of Bangladesh thrice

Khaleda Zia former Prime Minister of Bangladesh-by Foreign and Commonwealth Office-

Zia served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh three times. She served three terms in office, the first from March 1991 to February 1996.

The second for a brief period following February 1996, and the third from October 2001 to October 2006.

She is mainly renowned for her influence in bringing about important economic reforms and opening up education.

4. Zia was put under house arrest multiple times by Ershad’s military government

Begum Khaleda Zia during anti-autocrat movement-by Endeavorbd-

From 1986 through 1990, Khaleda Zia was often placed under house imprisonment by Ershad’s military regime.

She was placed under house arrest on October 13, 1986, just before the presidential election in Bangladesh that year, and released after the election.

On November 10 of that same year, she declared a half-day strike, only to be placed back under house arrest. On 11 November 1987, the government of Ershad put her under house arrest after detaining her from Purbani Hotel.

5. She is ranked on the Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World

Forbes magazine put Zia at number 14 in 2004, number 29 in 2005, and number 33 in 2006 on its list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.

6. Zia’s main rival has been Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina

Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina are known as the ‘Battling Begums’ for their bitter rivalry that has poisoned Bangladeshi politics for nearly three decades.

The BNP was defeated by Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League in the elections on June 12, 1996.

The BNP became the greatest opposition party in the history of the country’s parliament after winning 116 seats.

Her party came to power again in 2001. She has been elected to five separate parliamentary constituencies in the general elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001.

7. She was arrested on corruption charges

Despite her denials that the theft was politically motivated, Zia, the head of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was convicted guilty of stealing $252,000 from a trust established for an orphanage.

At the conclusion of a case that lasted almost ten years, her son Tarique Rahman and four other individuals were also sentenced to ten years in prison.

She was convicted in February 2018 and began serving a five-year sentence, which rendered her unable to contest elections later in the year.

8. She was honored as a 鈥淔ighter for Democracy鈥� by the New Jersey鈥檚 State Senate in 2011

Riaz National Award Receiving -by Belayet2014-

The New Jersey State Senate recognized Zia as a “Fighter for Democracy” on May 24, 2011.

It was the first time the state Senate had honored a foreign leader in this manner, and it is indicative of the state’s growing immigrant and South Asian ancestor population.

9. Zia has a birth date discrepancy

She claims to have been born on August 15, which is controversial in Bangladeshi politics while her father claimed that his daughter’s date of birth is 5 September 1945.

Her birth date is listed as 9 August 1945 on her certificate for the matriculation exam.

The date on her marriage license is September 5, 1945, and according to Zia’s passport, she was born on August 19, 1945.

A political ally of Zia urged her not to celebrate her birthday on 15 August since it was declared National Mourning Day of Bangladesh following the deaths of the Sheikh Hasina family.

10. She developed a reputation as the “Uncompromising leader”

Begum Khaleda Zia and US President Bill Clinton in Dhaka, 20 March 2000-by David Scull-

Due to her adamant resistance to Ershad’s military dictatorship in the 1980s and her dedication to restoring democracy in Bangladesh, she earned the nickname “Uncompromising leader.”

She was put under house arrest multiple times for demanding the dissolution of the parliament.

In one of the interviews, she declared that in order to overthrow the dictator, she was prepared to die. In December 1990, Ershad was forced to resign after a popular uprising, and Khaleda first won the election in February 1991.

Khaleda Zia was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and she governed during a period of natural disasters, economic distress, and civil unrest.

She emphasized both formal education and practical training and made primary education free and mandatory for all.

Her administration was highlighted by some significant economic reforms. Bangladesh began to attract a higher level of international investment during her period.