Khaleda Zia: The Former B'desh PM who leaves behind a mixed legacy

New Delhi: Begum Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister of Bangladesh who passed away on December 30, left behind a mixed legacy. She ended the presidential system, but some of her decisions were seen as detrimental to India's security interests. However, later as the leader of the Opposition, she made efforts to address New Delhi's concerns.

Tributes and condolences poured in after the news of her passing.

Also Read: Khaleda Zia's India legacy softens amid new equations


"Deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. Our sincerest condolences to her family and all the people of Bangladesh," Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X. "As the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, her important contributions towards the development of Bangladesh, as well as India-Bangladesh relations, will always be remembered. We hope that her vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership. May her soul rest in peace."

External affairs minister S Jaishankar will represent the government and people of India at the funeral of Khaleda Zia, an official statement from BNP said. He will accordingly visit Dhaka on December 31, it said. The move indicates India's approach on backing inclusive politics in the neighbouring country.

Bangladesh's Awami League shared former PM Sheikh Hasina's message on its X account.

"I extend my deepest condolences on the passing of BNP chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia. As the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh, and for her role in the struggle to establish democracy, her contributions to the nation were significant and will be remembered. Her passing represents a profound loss for Bangladesh's political life..." the Awami League said in the post, quoting Hasina.

Hasina and Zia shared difficult personal relations but had fought together in the late 1980s to remove the then President, HM Ershad, from power. The five-time PM also offered prayers for Zia. "I pray for the eternal peace and forgiveness of Begum Khaleda Zia's soul. I convey my sincere sympathies to her son, Tarique Rahman, and to the members of her bereaved family. I also extend my condolences to the wider BNP family. I hope that Almighty Allah grants them patience, strength and comfort to endure this difficult time."

With India, Zia's ties started to evolve after 2012. She assured India that future BNP governments would act against terrorist groups operating from Bangladeshi soil. That outreach continued as Modi met Zia in Dhaka in June 2015. She also travelled to New Delhi to meet the then President Pranab Mukherjee.

Harsh Shringla, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, said, "Her meetings with Indian leaders in her final years, including her interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dhaka in 2015, reflected that gradual recalibration. In the end, her passing appears to have opened the way for her son, Tarique Rahman, to step fully into the family's historic political role. Zia, despite her later efforts at engagement, remained for many in India a symbol of an alternative political order that was less accommodating of Indian interests. Her death removes that symbol but not the underlying political constituency she represented."

While BNP, which Zia led for decades, and her son Tarique Rahman have shown inclination to establish friendly ties with India, some of Zia's critics allege that she worked closely with Jamaat-e-Islami. Critics allege that her Pakistan connections remained strong. Based on BNP's nationalism plank, Zia as the prime minister and later as the leader of the Opposition, was opposed to overland transit and connectivity links with India.

As prime minister, Zia did not agree to India's request for transit rights across Bangladeshi territory to the northeastern states, alleging that it would violate the country's security and sovereignty.

At a Dhaka rally in 2018, Zia pulled up Hasina for exempting India from paying transit duties and said, "We will resist the move to turn Bangladesh into a state of India."

BNP has been historically close to both the US and China. In 2002, Zia concluded defence deals with China for supply of tanks, frigates and other military equipment. During BNP's 2001-06 tenure, Bangladesh's ties with India touched a low over Dhaka's alleged support for cross-border terror and insurgency and hosting of northeastern rebels.