The story of three countries and a Begum with three identities, what was Khaleda Zia’s real connection with India?

News India Live, Digital Desk: Today, when we hear the name of Khaleda Zia, the image of a strong and somewhat strict politician of Bangladesh emerges in our mind. In diplomatic circles, she was seen as a leader who kept distance from India, but very few people know that Khaleda Zia’s existence is deeply linked to the history of the three countries India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

That childhood, which was spent in today’s West Bengal
Very few people notice that Khaleda Zia was born in 1945 in British India. Jalpaiguri Happened in. It is today part of West Bengal, India. His family is basically a product of the era of undivided India, when there were no barbed wires on the borders. His childhood was spent amidst the same hills and greenery that we call our own today.

One journey, three countries
If we look at Khaleda Zia’s life on a map, it is very interesting:

• India: Where he opened his eyes and spent his childhood.
• Pakistan: After the partition of 1947, she moved to Dinajpur (East Pakistan) with her family. During that period, she was a citizen of Pakistan and grew up under its shadow. Her husband Ziaur Rehman was also a senior officer of Pakistan Army at that time.
• Bangladesh: When a new country was formed after the 1971 war, she became a citizen there and later took over the reins of that country.

The irony of history: Why the connection with India yet distance?
People often ask this question that why did a person who was born in Indian soil become so bitter towards India after coming into politics? In fact, Khaleda Zia’s politics followed the radical path of ‘nationalism’ in which excessive closeness with India was considered a threat to its autonomy. He always created his image as a ‘patriotic Bangladeshi’, which helped him in strengthening his party (BNP).

This is why relations with India have always been ‘tense’ throughout his political legacy, even though his personal history has its roots in India.

a memory that will last forever
After the death of Khaleda Zia, the discussion is again heated about how these leaders of South Asia contained within themselves the history of the entire subcontinent. From being a housewife to witnessing a political trip to three countries, her personality has also been a part of the shared culture of India-Bangladesh. She was the daughter of Jalpaiguri, whose destiny made her the Sultan of the neighboring country.