Khaleda Zia's Jalpaiguri Past: From 'Putul' to PM, Nayabasti Remembers

• Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister, spent a significant part of her childhood in Jalpaiguri, India.
• Born in Dinajpur on August 15, 1946, she was affectionately known as 'Putul' in Jalpaiguri's Nayabasti area.
• She studied at Dinajpur Government Girls' High School, Jalpaiguri Sadar Girls' School, and Surendranath College.
• Her father, Mohammad Iskandar Majumder, worked for 'Dash & Company', connected to the tea business.
• The family moved to East Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War; Nayabasti residents mourn her passing, recalling her human connection.

Why It Matters: Khaleda Zia's journey from a small-town 'Putul' in Jalpaiguri to Bangladesh's PM is a unique historical chapter.