India-Born ‘Putul’ Khaleda Zia: The Politician Who Defied Delhi And Backed Pakistan | World News
Dhaka/New Delhi: A chapter of Bangladesh’s political history ended today (December 30, 2025). Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, one of the most influential faces of Dhaka politics for decades, passed away this morning. He breathed his last shortly after performing the morning prayer. He was 80 years old.
Born in India and affectionately called ‘Putul’ in his early years, he built a political career that was often in direct opposition to India. His death comes at a sensitive time for Bangladesh, which is grappling with political uncertainty, rising extremism and violence, and with national elections scheduled for February 12.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced that he published a post on his verified Meta (formerly Facebook) page. “Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6:00 am, shortly after the morning prayers,” the party said.
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From Jalpaiguri to Dhaka’s Corridors of Power
Zia was born on 15 August 1945 in Jalpaiguri, which was then part of India’s undivided Bengal Presidency. Her full name was Khaleda Khanam Putul. After the partition of India in 1947, his family moved to Dinajpur.
Although she often described herself as self-educated and wrote her own life stories, records show that she studied at Dinajpur Missionary School and Dinajpur Girls’ School. There is no official document regarding his higher education.
Her life changed after she married Ziaur Rahman, a captain in the Pakistan Army. After their marriage in 1965, she moved to Pakistan and took the name Khaleda Zia.
During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Rahman was serving in the army. He later emerged as an important face in the history of Bangladesh and eventually became the president of the country. Zia served as the First Lady of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981.
The couple had two sons named Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman. Arafat died due to a heart attack in 2015.
The Tragedy That Pushed Him to Politics
The murder of his wife on May 30, 1981 changed the course of his life. Personal loss drove him into active politics, which he would dominate for decades. On January 2, 1982, she joined the BNP party, which her husband founded in 1978. He became president of the party on May 10, 1984 and held this position until December 30, 2025.
He led mass movements against the military rule of Hussein Muhammad Ershad, who seized power in a coup in 1982. From 1983 to 1990, he led a seven-party alliance that challenged the Ershad regime. He boycotted the 1986 elections and was under house arrest for many periods. His political life in these years was defined by prolonged resistance and street mobilization.
Three Term Prime Ministry
Khaleda Zia served as prime minister of Bangladesh three times. Her first term began in 1991, making her the country’s first female prime minister. During this period, his government introduced free and compulsory primary education.
His second term, from February 1996, was short-lived. His third term, from October 10, 2001 to October 29, 2006, proved to be his strongest with voters. His four-party alliance won a two-thirds majority in parliament, giving his government tight control over the state machinery.
‘The War of the Begums’
For decades, Bangladesh’s politics had been affected by the intense rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, commonly known as the “Bag of the Begums”. While Zia represented one pole of power, Hasina represented the other pole. Their rivalry stemmed from personal losses, family backgrounds, and differing political views.
Accusations linked to the murders of the family members involved added to the pain. Although they opposed Erşad’s dictatorship together for a short time in 1990, this separation soon deepened. While Zia became prime minister in 1991, Hasina was leading the opposition.
Hasina took office in 1996 after Zia resisted from outside. Her return to power in 2001 and the grenade attack on Hasina in 2004, an incident in which allegations were leveled against Zia’s government, further aggravated hostilities.
Hasina remained in power for a long time after 2009. Numerous corruption cases were filed against Zia during these years. He was sent to prison after being convicted in corruption-related cases in 2018.
Legal Battles and Declining Health
More than 32 cases were filed against him, including Gatco, Niko and Barapukuria cases. In 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Foundation case. In the Zia Charitable Trust case, the sentence was later increased from 10 years to 7 years.
He was released on bail in 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Since then, he has been hospitalized frequently as his health has deteriorated.
A Long Phase of Conflict with India
Zia’s political worldview, partly influenced by his Pakistan-connected background, often put him at odds with India. Its relationship with New Delhi was marked by distrust. His politics was largely based on anti-India Bengali nationalism.
His stance became particularly evident when he refused to meet the then Indian President Pranab Mukherjee during his visit to Dhaka in March 2013. At that time, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was in power in Delhi. He argued that India made unnecessary preference for Hasina’s government.
During his tenure between 1991-1996 and 2001-2006, he prioritized relations with Pakistan and China over India. He described the 1972 India-Bangladesh Friendship Treaty as a “slavery treaty” and strongly opposed it.
He described the 1996 Ganga water-sharing agreement as a “subjugation agreement” and resisted the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Agreement, claiming that it would eventually make the region part of India.
Under his leadership, anti-India elements found a place in Bangladesh. While Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has strengthened its presence in Dhaka with groups like Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) receiving support from Pakistani militants, Indian rebel outfits in the Northeast, including ULFA and NSCN, have reportedly found sanctuary in Bangladeshi territory.
His government has also taken a confrontational stance on issues such as the Teesta water sharing dispute, border management and illegal infiltration. Instead of establishing a strategic partnership with India, Zia kept his distance from New Delhi and followed what he called a “balance” policy.
Limited Interaction with India
Despite his tense stance, he made short visits to India during his prime years. One such visit was made in 2006 by the Prime Minister of the time, Dr. It happened when he met Manmohan Singh.
His most controversial visit to India was in October 2012, when he traveled as Leader of the Opposition. The trip attracted attention because it came against the backdrop of the BNP’s long-standing anti-India image.
With his passing, Bangladesh lost a leader who influenced its politics through conflict, resistance and enduring rivalry. His legacy is intertwined with the country’s tumultuous democratic journey and its uneasy relationship with India.
