Khaleda Zia’s 82nd birthday to be observed tomorrow

The 82nd birthday of former BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia will be observed tomorrow with various programmes organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).According to a BNP press release, doa and milad mahfils will be held at party offices and mosques across the country to mark the occasion.In Dhaka, the main programme will begin at 11:00am at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan, where senior party leaders are expected to attend.Begum Khaleda Zia, widely regarded as a prominent leader of Bangladesh’s democratic movement, served as BNP chairperson from 1983 until her death on December 30, 2025. She was the country’s first elected female prime minister and served as prime minister three times.She was born to Iskandar Majumder and Taiyaba Majumder in Dinajpur on August 15, 1945. Her family originally hailed from Feni. She studied at Dinajpur Government Girls High School and later at Surendranath College.In 1960, she married Ziaur Rahman, who later became a Liberation War hero, declared independence on behalf of the nation and served as president of Bangladesh. As First Lady, Begum Khaleda Zia accompanied him on visits and met several world leaders.Following the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman in 1981, she joined the BNP as a general member on January 2, 1982. She became the party’s vice-chairperson in March 1983 and subsequently took over as chairperson.