Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, long seen as a favorite to return to power in next year’s elections, died Tuesday at age 80, her party said.
The government declared three days of state mourning, with her funeral to be held Wednesday.
Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in elections set for February – the first vote since a mass uprising toppled her archrival Sheikh Hasina last year.
Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely seen as a frontrunner and her son Tarique Rahman, who returned only on Thursday after 17 years in exile, is seen a potential prime minister if they win a majority.
In late November, Zia was rushed to the hospital, where, despite the best efforts of medics, her condition deteriorated from a raft of health issues.
