Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed deep grief over the demise of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) President Begum Khaleda Zia and expressed condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh.
In a post on Twitter, Prime Minister Modi wrote that he was “deeply saddened” to learn of Khaleda Zia’s demise at the age of 80 and prayed for her family to be given the strength to bear the loss.
The Prime Minister wrote, “Deeply saddened to hear the demise of Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister and Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Council in Dhaka. Our heartfelt condolences to her family and all the people of Bangladesh. May God give her family the strength to bear this tragic loss.”
Begum Khaleda Zia died this morning at the age of 80 while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
According to a BNP statement on Facebook, Zia died at around 6 am (local time), shortly after Fajr prayers. “Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6:00 am, just after Fajr prayers,” the BNP statement said.
It further said, “We pray for the eternal peace of his soul and urge everyone to pray for his departed soul.”
Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital Dhaka on November 23 due to a lung infection. The former prime minister had long been suffering from multiple physical ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis and kidney problems, and earlier this month she was flown to London for advanced medical treatment.
A huge crowd gathered outside the hospital this morning, while Begum Zia’s son and BNP acting president Tariq Rehman arrived to pay tribute to his late mother.
In his post, Prime Minister Modi recalled the political legacy of Khaleda Zia, saying that as the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, she made significant contributions to the development of the country and India-Bangladesh relations and her vision and legacy will continue to guide bilateral relations.
The Prime Minister wrote, “As the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, her significant contribution to the development of Bangladesh and India-Bangladesh relations will always be remembered. I fondly remember meeting her in Dhaka in 2015. We hope that her vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership. May her soul rest in peace.”
