Khaleda Zia's Political Eclipse: How Power & Prisons Ended the "Battle of Begums"

• Khaleda Zia, former Bangladesh PM, faced political marginalization under Sheikh Hasina's long rule, shifting from parliamentary battles to confinement.
• The "Battle of the Begums" rivalry with Sheikh Hasina became one-sided after Hasina consolidated power, leading to Zia's decline.
• Zia was convicted in a 2018 corruption case, imprisoned, and later placed under de facto house arrest, effectively barring her from politics.
• Her marginalization coincided with controversial elections, weakening the opposition and entrenching Hasina's dominance.
• After Hasina's fall in August 2024, Zia was released and acquitted, making a brief symbolic return before her death at 80.

Why It Matters: Khaleda Zia's political journey, marked by repression and a brief resurgence, reshaped Bangladesh's democratic landscape.