Khaleda no more, Hasina out of poll race: How absence of Begums could redefine Bangladesh’s electoral landscape

New Delhi: Two influential women leaders -- Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday -- have dominated Bangladesh's political scene for over four decades. Their rivalry has often come to be known as 'The Battle of the Begums'.

Their similarities stem from the fact that both emerged from illustrious political lineages. Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Khaleda Zia, widow of former Prime Minister Ziaur Rahman. They inherited not only the legacies of their eminent families, but also the weight of big expectations and the extensive political networks that accompanied them. They both were not supposed to lead their country but circumstances paved the way for them to take on the mantle of national leadership. Mujibur was assassinated in 1975 and Ziaur in 1981 and it created political vacuum.

Khaleda was a shy housewife devoted to her two sons. However, when Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) founder, her husband Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated, she formally assumed leadership of the BNP in 1984. And quite like Hasina, she rose to the occasion and charted their course amid political turmoil.

During the 1980s, Khaleda and Hasina spearheaded parallel but separate movements and campaigns against the military rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Even though they had big ideological differences, the two leaders came together to unseat Ershad’s authoritarian regime.

Hasina and Khaleda were united by a single demand: the dictator’s resignation and the restoration of democracy. The movement reached its pinnacle in 1990.

In 1990, Ershad was dethroned after months of mass street protests that brought Dhaka to a standstill. In 1991, elections were conducted under a neutral caretaker government. BNP came to power and Khaleda became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister.

Khaleda Zia held the office of prime minister for two full terms, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. Her leadership carried forward the vision of her late husband, Ziaur Rahman, by integrating Islamic principles into governance, promoting the growth of private enterprise, and implementing economic reforms oriented towards market liberalisation.

During her first term, she carried out education reforms, improved the literacy levels, undertook economic measures that boosted foreign investment, and continued village-level administrative reforms that were initiated by Ziaur Rahman.

In her second term, the BNP forged alliances with hardline Islamist parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote, as well as with Ershad’s Jatiya Party. The coalition secured a two-thirds majority in parliament, but the tilt towards the right increased.

Later, she was involved in intense institutional struggles and legal challenges. During 2006–07, her attempts to sway the interim government ahead of elections sparked widespread political instability. In the 2008 elections, Khaleda was defeated by Hasina and the Awami League. The same year, she was sentenced to 17 years in prison on "corruption" charges under Hasina’s government.

After Hasina fled the country and the Yunus-led interim government announced the elections in February 2026, Tarique Rahman, son of Khaleda Zia, has come forward as the new leader of the Zia family’s political legacy. Following 17 years in self-imposed exile in the UK, his return to Dhaka in December indicates a fresh phase for the BNP.

He is now serving as the BNP’s de facto leader. Tarique Rahman is being regarded as the frontrunner for the upcoming national elections and a potential future prime minister. His return has reinvigorated the party’s organisational base.

Khaleda Zia leaves behind a multifaced legacy defined by decades of democratic mobilisation and party-building that changed Bangladesh’s political scene. Her fierce rivalry with Hasina and institutional conflicts shaped the country's political culture. It influenced governance, and the nature of electoral competition for decades. She was instrumental in shaping debates revolving around governance, religion, and economic plans.

Her market-oriented reforms continue to have ripples, with foreign investments showing its impact. Khaleda's education reforms, and measures to improve the literacy levels have played a key role in expanding access to education, raising skill levels, and empowering a new generation of Bangladeshis to take part more effectively in the nation’s social and economic development. Her village-level administrative reforms have boosted local governance. Her initiatives brought communities closer to governance and decision-making at the grassroots.

Her passing is a turning point in Bangladesh’s political landscape, and the new leadership has a huge challenge to maintain relevance of Khaleda's legacy.

Sheikh Hasina's party Awami League has been banned from running in the upcoming elections. This signals a major shift in Bangladesh’s political arena. Hasina's absence will change voter dynamics. It will create opportunities for new leadership. Experts suggest this could trigger realignments and greater uncertainty in the country’s electoral landscape.

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With Khaleda’s passing and Hasina out of the upcoming elections, Bangladesh faces a historic political shift. Their absence opens the field for new leaders to emerge. Voter dynamics are likely to change as old loyalties are tested. Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman is already staking his claim as the next PM. However, there are some students' groups who have formed political bodies and are beginning to assert influence at the grassroots level. This speaks volumes about the rise of new voices and possible challengers in the country’s evolving political landscape.

Against this backdrop, Bangladesh could witness an election that is more unpredictable than ever. The traditional power structures will be questioned by student groups -- such as the one formed by slain Osman Hadi. Emerging leaders will shape the future of Bangladesh politics and the February elections could usher in a new phase. Yunus-led interim government has a big role to play as Bangladesh looks at a political future. A future that will be defined by shifting alliances. The challenge is to bring about stability as power goes into new hands. How Bangladesh handles the transitional phase will be crucial.