Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female leader and long-time head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has died at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness. She passed away at 6am local time on Tuesday, December 30, at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she had been receiving treatment for multiple health issues, including liver disease, heart problems, diabetes and respiratory complications.

The BNP announced her death, saying, “Our beloved national leader is no longer with us,” and requested prayers for her soul. The government has declared three days of state mourning.

Begum Zia, as she was widely known, rose to prominence following the assassination of her husband in 1981, becoming a central figure in Bangladesh’s democratic struggle. She served three times as prime minister, making history as the first woman to hold the office in Bangladesh. Known for her resolute and uncompromising political style, she survived repeated arrests and periods of house arrest, earning the nickname “uncompromising leader” among supporters.

International leaders paid tribute to Zia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow and praised her contributions to Bangladesh’s development and India-Bangladesh relations. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called her a “committed friend of Pakistan,” while leaders and embassies from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, Japan, Australia, the European Union, and the United Nations offered condolences, highlighting her legacy as a pioneer in Bangladesh’s political history.

Ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Zia’s longtime rival, described her passing as “a profound loss for Bangladesh’s political life” and for the leadership of the BNP, while offering prayers for her soul and condolences to her family, including her son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Thousands of citizens gathered outside hospitals and her residence in Dhaka to pay their respects, marking the end of an era in Bangladesh’s political history dominated for decades by the rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.