30/12/2025
Khaleda Zia’s Farewell: The Departure of the Last Pillar Against Hegemony
History, Struggle, and the Legacy of a Persecuted Leader
Engineer A K M Rezaul Karim
Bangladesh today stands immersed in profound grief. Begum Khaleda Zia—symbol of national sovereignty, uncompromising resistance to hegemony and authoritarianism, and one of the most consequential political figures in the country’s history—has passed away. The Almighty Allah has taken His oppressed servant back into His divine care.
Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.
Begum Khaleda Zia served three times as the elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh and was the Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). She was a rare and exceptional Muslim leader in the contemporary history of South Asia. Born on August 15, 1945, in Jalpaiguri of undivided Bengal, she was raised by her father Iskandar Majumder and mother Begum Tayeba Majumder in an environment shaped by faith, dignity, and moral values.
From Homemaker to Stateswoman
Khaleda Zia did not emerge from a traditional political background. Her life began as that of a devoted homemaker. Yet history assigned her a far greater role. As the wife of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman—an iconic military officer who resisted Indian aggression in 1965 and later became the proclaimer of Bangladesh’s independence—she witnessed the making of a nation at close quarters.
The Liberation War of 1971, the birth of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman’s role as Army Chief, the historic 7 November Soldiers–People’s Uprising, and his tenure as President all unfolded before her eyes. After the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman on May 30, 1981, history compelled Khaleda Zia to step forward—not merely as a successor, but as a leader in her own right.
Resistance to Autocracy and Hegemony
Khaleda Zia’s leadership during the anti-Ershad movement marked a decisive turning point in Bangladeshi politics. The mass uprising of 1990, the restoration of parliamentary democracy, and the 1991 general election established her as a central architect of democratic revival. She emerged as one of the leading Muslim women prime ministers of the world and took significant initiatives in expanding female education and social development.
However, her defining political stance remained her uncompromising opposition to foreign domination and domestic collaborators. This position repeatedly made her the target of conspiracies, vendettas, and systematic persecution.
Politics of Retaliation, Not Justice
The political transition of 1996, the landslide victory of the Four-Party Alliance in 2001, and the subsequent regional and international intrigues made her premiership exceptionally challenging. Attempts were made to brand her government under the global “War on Terror,” while destabilization campaigns continued, culminating in the military-backed events of January 11, 2007.
Following the controversial election of 2008, a prolonged period of authoritarian rule began. What followed was a deliberate campaign to politically eliminate Khaleda Zia—through fabricated cases, repeated court appearances, prolonged imprisonment, and denial of proper medical care. She spent more than nine years under incarceration, suffering grave health deterioration. This was not justice; it was calculated political persecution.
Unbroken Until the End
The tragic truth is that for the last fifteen years of her life, Khaleda Zia endured immense suffering driven by political vengeance. Her eviction from the cantonment residence—her long-time home associated with her late husband—was not a mere administrative decision; it symbolized a profound collapse of state morality.
Yet she never surrendered. Even in illness and confinement, she remained steadfast. Upon her release and transfer abroad for medical treatment, the nation once again hoped that she might return to play a unifying role in post-authoritarian Bangladesh.
But Allah is the Best of Planners. He freed His servant from worldly oppression and called her back to His mercy.
Legacy and Responsibility
Begum Khaleda Zia was a national guardian, a symbol of unity, and the final steadfast pillar of resistance against domination and authoritarianism. Though she is no longer among us, her struggle, sacrifice, and ideals now constitute a moral responsibility for the nation.
Today, we do not wish to stop at prayers alone. We appeal to Almighty Allah that those who committed injustice and oppression against her be held accountable in this world, so that tyrants receive a warning and the oppressed regain hope in justice.
May Allah grant us patience, and the strength to remain steadfast in truth and justice.
Ameen.
Author:
Engineer A. K. M. Rezoul Karim
Columnist, Social Worker, Political Analyst, Human Rights Activist, and Politician
Chairman — Bangladesh Nationalist Research Centre
Chairman — Center for Human Rights and Human Development
Chairman — Democracy Research Center (DRC)
