Sheikh Hasina condoles death of ex-PM Khaleda Zia: 'A profound loss...'

Khaleda Zia

• Former PM Khaleda Zia died at 80 in Dhaka after prolonged illness
• Sheikh Hasina offered condolences, calling Zia key in Bangladesh politics.
• Zia was the first woman Prime Minister and led the BNP for decades

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Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed condolences over the death of her archrival Khaleda Zia, who dominated the country's politics alongside her for decades.

In a condolence message shared on the Awami League's X account, Hasina described Zia as a significant figure in the country’s political history.

“I extend my deepest condolences on the passing of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia,” Sheikh Hasina said.

“As the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and for her role in the struggle to establish democracy, her contributions to the nation were significant and will be remembered. Her passing represents a profound loss for Bangladesh’s political life and for the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party,” she added.

Khaleda Zia died early morning today while she was undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 80.

According to a statement by BNP, Zia died at around 6 am (local time), shortly after the Fajr prayer."Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6:00 am, just after Fajr prayer," the BNP statement read.

"We pray for the eternal peace of her soul and ask everyone to pray for her departed soul," it added.

In her statement, Hasina prayed for the “eternal peace and forgiveness of Begum Khaleda Zia’s soul.”

“I convey my sincere sympathies to her son, Tarique Rahman, and to the members of her bereaved family. I also extend my condolences to the wider BNP family. I hope that Almighty Allah grants them patience, strength, and comfort to endure this difficult time,” she wrote.

Zia was admitted to the capital Dhaka's Evercare Hospital on November 23 with a lung infection. The former Prime Minister had been suffering from various ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney complications, for a long time, and earlier this month, she was sent to London for advanced medical treatment for her ailments.