Full Name: Begum Khaleda Zia
Birth Date: August 15, 1945
Birth Place: Dinajpur, Bangladesh
Occupation: Politician
Political party: BNP
Spouse: Ziaur Rahman (1960–1981)
Children: Tarique Rahman, Arafat Rahman
Religion: Islam
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh and the first woman Prime Minister in the country’s history and the second in the Muslim world. She is the chairperson of one of the largest Bangladeshi political parties, BNP. She is a magnificent female political leader around the country who leads her party with astute leadership qualities.
Khaleda Zia Early Life:
Khaleda Zia was born August 15, 1945, in Dinajpur, Bangladesh to Iskandar Majumder, a businessman, and Taiyaba Majumder. She is the third of three sisters and two brothers born to her parents. Khaleda Zia started her school life at Dinajpur Mission School when she was five years old. Then she enrolled at the Dinajpur Girls School and passed Class Eight.
Khaleda Zia Career:
Ziaur Rahma was assassinated in the abortive military coup on May 30, 1981. Then Begum Khaleda Zia joined the Bangladesh National Party at the request of some top leaders of BNP on January 03, 1982. Then she was elected vice-president of BNP in 1983.
Khaleda Zia became chairperson of BNP on May 10, 1984, as Justice Sattar retired from politics. Now she is the lifetime chairperson of BNP. With her astute leadership, BNP gets a new frame and won the national election for three terms. Begum Zia positioned the party well with her powerful leadership quality thereby; the party turned into the largest political group in the country.
Khaleda Zia was elected Prime Minister for three terms after winning the general elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001. However, the 96’ election was boycotted by other major parties.
She is the second-longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh, after Sheikh Hasina since 1971 as she ruled the country for ten years. Forbes magazine ranked Mrs. Zia number 29 in 2005 and number 33 in 2006 in its list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.
Zia Orphanage Trust Case:
Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh jailed for 5 years in the Zia Orphanage Trust case on February 8, 2018. The case was filed with six accused against Khaleda by the Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2008, during the erstwhile caretaker government.
Personal Life:
Khaleda Zia got married to Ziaur Rahman in August 1960 when Zia was working in Dinajpur as a Pakistani army officer. Her husband, Ziaur Rahman was one of the great heroes in the time of the liberation war. She had two sons named Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko.
Tarique Rahman is the current Senior Vice Chairman of BNP. Arafat Rahman was a businessman associated with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and City Club who died on January 24, 2015, due to a cardiac arrest at Malaysia National University Hospital.