Biography

Image via The Daily Star

Begum Khaleda Zia served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and then again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first woman Prime Minister of her country, and second woman Prime Minister in the Muslim world.

Khaleda Zia was born in 1945 and attended Surendranath College in Dinājpur. Following the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia joined his old party and was elected the Leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in 1984. 

​Over the next two decades, Khaleda Zia served 10 years as Prime Minister. When in power, the government of Khaleda Zia made considerable progress in the education sector by introducing compulsory free primary education, free education for girls up to 10th grade, an education stipend for girl students, and food for education programs.