Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia, the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, passed away at the age of 80 on Tuesday (December 30). In recent years, she had been away from politics owing to her deteriorating health, and as the Awami League’s Sheikh Hasina consolidated power.However, following the toppling of the Hasina regime last year, the political prospects of the BNP have seen a revival. Her son, Tarique Rahman, returned to Dhaka from London on December 25 and was thronged by supporters upon his arrival. With elections scheduled in about two months, the BNP and the Zia family have again taken centre stage in Bangladesh politics.Khaleda did not set out to become a career politician, and her sudden entry into the field was a product of violent circumstances. Nevertheless, she served two terms in power and came to be recognised as the most well-known politicians of her generation, alongside Hasina, in a part of the world where women heads of state are a rarity. Her tenure also stood out for certain policies that were seen as damaging to India-Bangladesh ties.Assassination of husband Ziaur RahmanBorn Khaleda Khanam “Putul” to a tea trader from Feni in the southeastern region of Bangladesh in 1945, Khaleda took on the title of Zia after marrying army man Ziaur Rahman in 1960.Rahman played an active role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, triggered after the results of the 1970 elections showed the Awami League comfortably winning the mandate for what was then East Pakistan. As the Pakistani establishment sought to ensure that power remained with the leaders of West Pakistan, it launched a large-scale and violent crackdown to silence any dissent brewing in the East.The Zia family | A brief history of dynasty behind BNPFor Rahman and others, it was a sign to revolt against the Pakistani army. After their victory, however, he believed he was entitled to greater political power in the newly created Bangladesh, and established the BNP in 1978. With some discontentment over Awami League leader Mujibur Rahman’s rule, a group of army officers assassinated him and most members of his family on August 15, 1975.Zia was not directly involved in the coup, but was aware of plans being afoot. After he became the Army Chief in the new regime, another coup paved the way for Zia to impose martial law and assume power. But about six years into his reign, another group of military officers killed him in his home.Story continues below this adIt was in these circumstances that Khaleda Zia stepped in to lead the BNP. She later spoke about her initial reluctance to join politics, but cited pressure from the party and the public as her reasons.She led agitations against the military rule in the country. An obituary in Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star noted, “At the time, she had little political experience, facing stiff opposition from factions within her own party. Senior BNP leaders, many of whom were seasoned politicians, doubted her capability, and the party was on the brink of disintegration… Despite this internal scepticism and the formidable might of HM Ershad’s military regime, she took the helm in 1984.”It credited her ability to stand her ground and her projection of the BNP as a symbol of resistance to authoritarianism for her initial rise. This posturing also earned her the moniker of “uncompromising leader”. The Daily Star wrote, “She remains the only political leader in the country’s history to have won every single parliamentary seat she ever contested.”Express Archives | ‘I don’t think many Bangladeshis go to India, they are doing quite well here’: Khaleda ZiaKhaleda Zia would serve two full terms as PM, from 1991 to 1996, and 2001 to 2006. The 1991 elections were the first to be held after the end of military rule. This period saw her continue many of her husband’s policies, advocating a role for Islam in the state, and promoting private enterprise. Additionally, she introduced education reforms, which helped raise the literacy rate.Story continues below this ad The late Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Khaleda Zia hold a meeting at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Archives)Second term, ‘anti-India’ tilt and corruption allegationsIn her second term, The Daily Star report said, “Khaleda orchestrated a stunning political comeback, leading her four-party alliance to a landslide victory that secured a two-thirds majority in parliament. This triumph was a rejection of the incumbent Awami League as well as a validation of her controversial strategic pivot — an electoral coalition with conservative Islamist parties.”By this time, she had allied with parties like the Jamaat-e-Islami. In the book The China Factor (2022), author Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury wrote that this was part of the BNP’s “anti-India tilt”, which also included “providing support to Indian insurgent groups in the northeast and the rise of several Islamic extremist groups which Pakistan wanted to use against India.”Events in Bangladesh | The lengthening shadow of Jamaat-e-Islami, and what India needs to doIt added that during this time, China as an international partner was “perceived as an acceptable player across the board, and has been proactive in maintaining relationships with the two main political parties” in Bangladesh. It was Ziaur Rahman who was the first Bangladeshi head of state to visit China in 1977, and he advocated for ties with the West, as well.Story continues below this adHowever, the BNP lost the 2008 polls to the Awami League. The elections were held after another political crisis, brought on by disagreements between the two major parties. After her victory, Hasina went after the Opposition in subsequent years, and Khaleda Zia was no exception. In the 2010s, she was convicted of embezzling funds from an orphanage named after her husband and sentenced to a five-year jail term. Though she and her son, Tarique, secured bail, her worsening health in later years added to the sense that the end of her political career was near.With elections imminent, amid the ongoing political turmoil and reports of violence in Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia’s death could add to the support for Tarique, who is already being seen as a front-runner, potentially marking another chapter in power for the Zia family.