Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep sorrow over the death of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. In a condolence message, Sheikh Hasina—who is currently living in exile in India—said that Begum Khaleda Zia, the country’s first woman prime minister, made an immense contribution to the movement for establishing democracy in Bangladesh.
The condolence message was shared on Tuesday (30 December) through a post on the Awami League’s verified Facebook page. In her message, Sheikh Hasina noted that Khaleda Zia’s death represents an irreparable loss to Bangladesh’s current political landscape, particularly to the leadership of the BNP.
Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and India have confirmed that this is the first major formal condolence message issued by Sheikh Hasina since she resigned and took refuge in India in the face of the student–mass uprising on 5 August. In her message, she prayed for the eternal peace of Begum Khaleda Zia’s soul and expressed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
Sheikh Hasina said, “I express my heartfelt condolences to her son Tarique Rahman and other grieving members of the family. I hope Almighty Allah will help her family members and everyone in the BNP overcome this sorrow.” Despite longstanding political rivalry, this condolence message from Sheikh Hasina at a critical juncture in the country’s history has sparked widespread discussion in political circles.
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
Seventy-nine-year-old Begum Khaleda Zia had long been suffering from various age-related complications, including liver, kidney, and heart diseases, as well as diabetes. She had been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the Bashundhara Residential Area of the capital since 23 November.
After her condition deteriorated critically late Monday night after 2:00 am, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and other family members rushed to the hospital. Despite doctors’ best efforts, she was declared dead at 6:00 am on Tuesday. Standing in front of the hospital, Professor Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain confirmed the news of Begum Zia’s death to journalists.
Widely known as the “Uncompromising Leader” following the anti-autocracy mass movement of the 1990s, Begum Khaleda Zia led the BNP for 41 years. A defining feature of her political career was that she contested parliamentary elections multiple times and was never defeated. She served as prime minister three times and as leader of the opposition twice.
Political analysts believe that the example she set by enduring street movements and imprisonment without leaving the country will keep her eternally remembered in Bangladesh’s history. With her passing, not only the BNP but the entire country has lost a powerful pillar of its political structure.
