Khaleda Zia entered politics at a time when democracy in Bangladesh was in its deepest crisis. She departed physically at a moment when a new dawn of democracy was emerging. When she first stepped into politics, she was a symbol of courage; when she left, she did so with an image of steadfastness.

Her political life spanned more than four decades. She entered politics in response to the call of her party and her country—an act that was personally a very courageous step. At the time, General Ershad’s military rule was strangling the country’s democratic future, and the then-illegal regime was also determined to dismantle the BNP.

It was through the struggle to protect the party and restore democracy that Khaleda Zia truly became a politician. Under her leadership, the BNP expanded its grassroots presence significantly. The young generation that joined the BNP under her shadow at that time has now become the backbone of the party across the country.

From 1982 to 1990, the anti–military rule movement included parties, leaders, and student and labour organisations from the left, right, and centre. At the outset, the BNP itself was quite disorganised. Even after Ershad’s fall, very few political analysts believed the BNP could defeat the 15-party alliance. Remarkably, it did—largely due to the force of Khaleda Zia’s singular political persona.