Bangladesh's first female prime minister and chairperson of the nationalist party BNP, Khaleda Zia, has died. She died at 6 am today, Tuesday, while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. News of her passing has been reported in various established media outlets around the world.

The headline of the news from the news agency Reuters is - 'Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister, dies at 80.'

Despite being out of power since 2006, Khaleda Zia and her party, the BNP, enjoy huge public support, the report said. The BNP is in the lead in the race to win parliamentary elections due in February, Reuters wrote.

The BBC reported under a similar headline. 'Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia dies at 80,' the news item highlights the fact that she came to power as the first head of government in 1991. The BBC news item describes her journey in the political arena of Bangladesh.

Mourners gathered outside Evercare Hospital in Dhaka to mourn the death of Khaleda Zia. Pictures showed police blocking their entry into the hospital, the BBC reported.

CNN reported in a slightly different vein. "Khaleda Zia, former Bangladeshi prime minister and Hasina's main rival, has died at the age of 80," their headline read.

The rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina has been a central theme in Bangladeshi politics for a long time, their report said. Khaleda's stance against the military dictatorship, her rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, and her illness are highlighted in the report.

Indian media outlet NDTV reported, "Khaleda Zia, former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP chief, has died at the age of 80."

Khaleda Zia had been undergoing treatment for the past 36 days, their report said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's condolence message on Khaleda Zia's death was also reported by NDTV.

Pakistani media outlet The Dawn reported, citing news agency AFP, that "Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister, has died at the age of 80 after a long illness."

Citing a BNP statement, it was said that Begum Khaleda Zia died at 6 am on Tuesday after Fajr prayers. In addition, The Dawn's own Instagram account has also published a photo story about Khaleda Zia's life from 1945 to 2025.

'The death of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Zia marks the end of an era,' France Twenty Four reported, citing AFP.

Despite her illness, Khaleda Zia was determined to contest the next national election, the report said. The report also highlighted the long-standing rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

This is the first time his son Tarique Rahman has returned to the country since 2008, the news mentioned.