Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of the Gono Samhati Andolon, has said that the death of former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has created a significant void in the current political landscape of Bangladesh.
He made the comment on Tuesday while speaking to journalists after leaving Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
Saki said: “Begum Khaleda Zia took the helm of a major political party like the BNP during the challenging circumstances of the 1980s. She played a leading role in the democratic struggle against Ershad’s authoritarian rule. It was due to her unwavering stance in this struggle that she was recognized as an ‘uncompromising leader’ by the broader populace.”
He further added: “As the elected prime minister of Bangladesh, her contributions to safeguarding the country’s independence, sovereignty, and democratic system will be remembered with enduring respect. Her courageous and resolute role during the ‘One Eleven’ period was particularly critical in advancing Bangladesh’s democratic progress.”
Criticizing the recently concluded Awami League administration, Saki said: “We witnessed how she was subjected to oppression and incarceration in a fascist manner. The illness that ultimately led to her death is directly attributable to the actions of her former persecutors in power.”
Reflecting on past events, Saki recalled: “Before the controversial 2018 election, when we met her at this very hospital, she firmly told us that the removal of this fascist government must occur through popular movements rather than elections. Her struggle served as an inspiration behind the recent bloody July uprising.”
Zonayed Saki prayed for the departed soul of Begum Khaleda Zia and expressed his deepest condolences to her grieving family and BNP leaders and supporters.
It is worth mentioning that Begum Khaleda Zia, widely known in politics as the “Uncompromising Leader,” passed away at 6am on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital.
The death of the country’s first female prime minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who had been receiving medical treatment for a long time, has cast a deep shadow of grief over the nation’s political landscape. Begum Khaleda Zia’s passing marks not merely the end of a political chapter, but the close of an era.
