Veteran Awami League leader Matia Chowdhury died today at a city hospital.

She breathed her last at 12:37pm at Evercare Hospital where she was undergoing treatment, Mostafa Jamal Haider, maternal uncle of Matia, told The Daily Star.

Matia Chowdhury was born on June 30, 1942, in Pirojpur. 

Her father Mohiuddin Ahmed Chowdhury was a police officer and mother Nurjahan Begum was a housewife. On June 18, 1964, Matia Chowdhury married the famous journalist Bazlur Rahman.

She got involved in student politics while studying at Eden College. 

In 1965, she was elected president of the Bangladesh Students' Union. In 1967, Matia, popularly known as "Agnikanya", joined the East Pakistan National Awami Party and became a member of its executive committee. 

Between 1970 and 1971, she was an active participant in Bangladesh's Liberation War, campaigning, lobbying and nursing the wounded.

In 1971, she became the organising secretary of Awami League. She was arrested several times during the period of President Ziaur Rahman and President Hussain Muhammad Ershad.

Matia Chowdhury served as the agriculture minister during the Awami League regime in 1996, 2009 and 2013. She was last serving as a presidium member of Awami League.