Khaleda Zia

Begum Khaleda Zia (Bengali: খালেদা জিয়া)(born August 15, 1945) is the former First Lady of Bangladesh (1977–1981), and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served two terms from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world (only after Ms Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan in 1988–1990) to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served a third term again from 2001 until 2006. She is the widow of the President, army chief and CMLA, former BDF Sector and Brigade Commander in the War of Independence of Bangladesh and Declarer of Independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981, and leads party he founded, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

After the country's firsy blood less coup-de-tat in 1982 by Indian backed Army General H. M. Ershad, Khaleda Zia has spent the first seven years running the BNP. She has been elected Prime Minister three time country (being the most-elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh). She has been elected to five separate parliamentary constituencies in the general elections of 1991, 1996 and 2001.

Forbes magazine ranked Mrs Zia at number 29 in 2005 and number 33 in 2006 in its list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.

Former president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad made her husband Major General Ziaur Rahman Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Army after Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Three months later on Nov 3rd 1975, a failed military coup attempt by Indian backed Brigadier General Khaled Musharraf took place removing Ziaur Rahman from service and placing him under house arrest. On November 7, 1975, that was four days later, once the people and the army clearly figured out that a vast external conspiracy was in play, the people with grass roots army personnel together stopped the coup attempt through a national revolt on that same day known as National Revolution and Solidarity Day, and entrusted Ziaur Rahman at the helm of government. To restore discipline and confidence Zia addressed the nation and assumed responsibility of guiding the nation as Chief Martial Law Administrator.