Exiled PM Sheikh Hasina Calls Khaleda Zia’s Death a Major Loss for Bangladesh Politics
Exiled Sheikh Hasina calls rival's passing profound national loss.
Exiled former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina released a poignant condolence statement on Tuesday, expressing deep sorrow over the demise of her enduring political opponent, Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and characterizing the loss as profoundly significant for the country's political sphere and the BNP's future leadership.
Hasina's message highlighted Khaleda Zia's pioneering status as Bangladesh's inaugural female prime minister and her indelible contributions to the nation's democratic restoration efforts, asserting that these legacies would endure in collective memory notwithstanding their protracted and often acrimonious rivalry that profoundly influenced Bangladesh's electoral dynamics and governance over three decades.
Through the official Awami League X account, the statement conveyed earnest prayers for the eternal peace and divine forgiveness of Khaleda Zia's soul, alongside sincere sympathies extended to her immediate family members, particularly son Tarique Rahman, and to the broader BNP community seeking solace in this period of mourning.
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The iconic leader, aged 80, passed away early Tuesday morning at approximately 6 a.m. shortly after Fajr prayers while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, with the BNP promptly disseminating the announcement via social media amid reports of her battling severe multifaceted health issues.
As a three-term prime minister who steered Bangladesh in 1991 and subsequently from 2001 to 2006 following the resurgence of parliamentary democracy, Khaleda Zia leaves behind her elder son Tarique Rahman—who recently concluded a lengthy exile to assume the BNP acting chairmanship and is positioned as a prominent figure for forthcoming elections—together with his wife and daughter, while her younger son had predeceased her years earlier.
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