Tarique Rahman Calls for Prayers for His Late Mother

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has urged everyone to pray for his mother, BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

In a Facebook post, he wrote, "I ask you all to pray for my mother. For the profound emotion, love, and respect shown by the people of this country and by the world, my family and I remain eternally grateful."

Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister, passed away at 6:00 am today at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. She was 80 years old and had been admitted to the hospital on November 23 under the advice of her medical board.

Tarique Rahman said, "My mother Begum Khaleda Zia has responded to the call of Almighty Allah and left us today. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un."

He added, "To many, she was the leader of the nation, an uncompromising leader, the Mother of Democracy, the Mother of Bangladesh. Today, the country mourns the loss of a guiding presence that shaped its democratic aspirations."

Highlighting her lifelong struggle, the BNP Acting Chairman noted that she stood firm against autocracy, fascism, and domination, leading the movement for freedom, sovereignty, and the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.

Tarique Rahman also reflected on her personal sacrifices, saying, "Her life was illuminated by sacrifice, enduring repeated arrests, denial of medical care, and relentless persecution. Yet even in pain, confinement, and uncertainty, she never stopped sheltering her family with courage and compassion. Her resilience was not loud, but it was unbreakable."

Referring to her dedication to the nation, he added, "For the country, she lost her husband; she lost her child. In that loss, this nation and its people became her family, her purpose, her very soul," recalling Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.

Concluding his statement, Tarique Rahman said that Begum Khaleda Zia leaves behind an "unforgettable legacy of patriotism, sacrifice, and resistance," a legacy that will endure in the democratic conscience of the people of Bangladesh.