00:00And let's talk about that right now, because the political rivalry between Khalid Azia and Sheikh Hasina has really defined Bangladeshi politics for decades.
00:11How did this era change politics in the country and what does it leave behind?
00:20Interesting. I mean, in the 1990s, both Sheikh Hasina and Khalid Azia came together to oust a military dictator, Hussein Mohammed Irshad.
00:30And surprisingly, in 1991, she became the prime minister. And that was the only partnership that they ever had.
00:37Since then, they had a bitter rivalry, which was deep, long, extremely divided and political.
00:45As I said before, Khalid Azia was seen as polite, who chose her words carefully, but was bold and assertive.
00:54On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina, who was seen as more outspoken and bold, once also colluded with a military leader to basically gain power.
01:06But that basically defined the relationship and the decades in which they alternated power.
01:13And it was called the Battle of the Begums, which is an honorary title in the Urdu language given for women of high stature and power in South Asia.
01:23But it's interesting to note that despite this decades long, bitter rivalry, Sheikh Hasina, who lives in exile in India after her oust last year,
01:33has come out and said in a condolence message for Zia and right after her passing,
01:39that Bangladesh will remember her as the first female leader and that Bangladesh has lost a leadership position and Bangladesh National Party will essentially be remembering her.
01:54And she has also sent some condolence messages, which should not be overlooked because their rivalry was quite deep.
02:02And given that she has put out a statement right after that, it is quite interesting.
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