Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has died at a hospital in the country’s capital, Dhaka, after a prolonged illness, according to her party and local media.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Bangladesh National Party said Khaleda died at 6am local time (00:00 GMT). She was 80 years old.
“Our beloved national leader is no longer with us. She left us at 6am today” the BNP said in the statement posted on Facebook.
“We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul,” it added.
Khaleda had advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, chest and heart problems, her doctors said.
She died at the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she was admitted to on November 23 with symptoms of a lung infection, according to The Daily Star.
During her final days, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus had called for the nation to pray for Khaleda, calling her a “source of utmost inspiration for the nation”.
Khaleda was jailed for corruption in 2018 under then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment.
She was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power.
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