Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has expressed condolences over the death of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, saying she was his hero.
He made the remarks in a post on his verified Facebook account on Tuesday morning.
In the post, the press secretary wrote: “She was the most graceful of all leaders—a symbol of our resistance and a patriot of the highest order. She remained a fighter until the very end, a beacon of hope in our most difficult times. Through her lifelong struggle, she defined the true spirit of Bangladesh. She was my hero.
“Rest in peace, Begum Khaleda Zia. May Allah grant you the most beautiful place in Jannah. May you rest in eternal peace,” the post added.
Begum Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female prime minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has passed away at the age of 80.
She died while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka early Tuesday morning around 6am, confirmed her personal physician Professor AZM Zahid Hossain.
Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 for routine tests, during which doctors detected a chest infection and decided to keep her under observation.
Her condition worsened on November 27, prompting her transfer to the hospital’s Coronary Care Unit (CCU).
In the early hours of Tuesday, Professor Hossain, a member of the medical board overseeing her treatment, had described her state as “very critical.”
Family members, including her son Tarique Rahman, visited her at the hospital late Monday night.
Despite efforts by a team of local and foreign specialists, her health continued to deteriorate.
Plans were considered to take her abroad for advanced treatment, but her fragile condition made travel impossible.
Khaleda Zia had long been battling multiple health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney problems.
Her final hospitalisation came after she developed severe breathing difficulties in late November.
