UAE leaders offer condolences to Bangladesh president over passing of Khaleda Zia

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of condolences to Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin over the passing of Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, sent similar messages to President Shahabuddin.

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On December 31, 2025, Bangladesh bid farewell to Zia in a state funeral that drew vast crowds mourning a towering leader whose career defined the country's politics for decades.

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Zia, who many believed would sweep elections next year to lead her country once again, died on December 30, aged 80, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party announced.

Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in elections set for February 2026 - the first vote since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina last year.

During her final days, interim leader Muhammad Yunus called for the nation to pray for Zia, calling her a "source of utmost inspiration for the nation".

Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Hasina's government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment.

She was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power.