[🇧🇩] Khaleda Zia no more

[Saif]

Longtime caregiver Fatema’s family grief-stricken over Khaleda Zia’s death

Fatema, longtime caregiver of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and her family are grief-stricken following the leader’s death. Since 2010, Fatema has been devoted to serving Begum Zia, even accompanying her to prison when required. Her father, Rafizul Mia, said th

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Longtime caregiver Fatema’s family grief-stricken over Khaleda Zia’s death

UNB
Published :
Dec 31, 2025 22:45
Updated :
Dec 31, 2025 22:45

Photo: Collected via UNB

Fatema, longtime caregiver of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and her family are grief-stricken following the leader’s death.

Since 2010, Fatema has been devoted to serving Begum Zia, even accompanying her to prison when required. Her father, Rafizul Mia, said the family was almost speechless with sorrow after hearing the news, and the atmosphere at their home in Shahmadar village of Kachia Union, Bhola Sadar, is somber.

Fatema, the eldest of two daughters, lost her husband shortly after marriage and moved to Dhaka with her five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son to seek livelihood. Through a relative, she began working as Begum Zia’s household caretaker in 2010 and has served the leader continuously for 16 years.

Rafizul Mia said he and his children traveled to Dhaka to attend Begum Zia’s funeral, praying for her soul’s salvation. Fatema’s children, Riamoni, who passed HSC from Nazir Rahman College in 2025, and two-year-old son Rifaat, preparing for SSC in 2026, said they have long been separated from their mother during 30 Eid celebrations. Despite the hardships, they feel proud of their mother for serving the national leader.

Local BNP leaders expressed pride in Fatema’s dedication, noting her sacrifices in accompanying Begum Zia abroad and during imprisonment. “Begum Zia was like family to Fatema,” said Rafizul Mia.​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda Zia: 1946-2025

Khaleda Zia (1946–2025) was Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, serving three terms and leading the BNP for decades, shaping the nation’s politics and democratic struggle.

en.prothomalo.com

Khaleda Zia: 1946-2025​

 

[Saif]

Hundreds of thousands gather at Manik Mia Avenue to attend Khaleda Zia’s janaza

People from across the country have begun converging at the capital’s Manik Mia Avenue since Wednesday morning to attend the janaza of former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, scheduled to be held at 2:00 pm today. From early hours, leaders...

en.prothomalo.com

Hundreds of thousands gather at Manik Mia Avenue to attend Khaleda Zia’s janaza​

 

[Saif]

Hasina can’t evade responsibility for Khaleda Zia’s death: Nazrul

In 2018, Khaleda walked into jail, but came out seriously ill, he says

www.thedailystar.net

Hasina can’t evade responsibility for Khaleda Zia’s death: Nazrul
In 2018, Khaleda walked into jail, but came out seriously ill, he says

BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan today said that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina would never be able to evade responsibility for the death of BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

"On February 8, 2018, Khaleda Zia walked into jail after being subjected to the personal vengeance of fascist Hasina. But she came out of prison seriously ill," he said while speaking at Manik Mia Avenue shortly before Khaleda Zia's namaz-e-janaza.

Nazrul said Khaleda's prolonged imprisonment, denial of proper medical treatment and restrictions on treatment abroad had severely damaged her health and ultimately led to her death.

"According to doctors at home and abroad, her illness worsened because she was denied the opportunity to receive treatment overseas during four years of house arrest. As a result, the uncompromising leader eventually succumbed to death. Fascist Hasina will never be free of responsibility for this death," he said.

Khaleda's body was taken to a temporary stage set up at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad around 2:45pm for her janaza.

Later, Nazrul Islam Khan read out a brief life sketch of Khaleda Zia on behalf of the party.

He explained the circumstances that led her to enter politics and highlighted her long struggle for democracy, her unwavering commitment to democratic values and her deep patriotism.

The BNP leader also recalled her contributions to the country and urged everyone to pray for her departed soul.

Nazrul said Khaleda Zia never bowed before any domestic or foreign force, nor did she compromise on democracy, freedom of expression or voting rights, despite facing repeated repression.

"She was jailed during the rule of autocrat Hussein Muhammad Ershad, during the so-called 1/11 regime and again under Sheikh Hasina," he said.

The BNP leader said Khaleda was evicted from her home linked to the memory of her martyred husband, late president Ziaur Rahman, and sentenced to 17 years in prison on what he described as false charges.

"Yet she never compromised with authoritarian politics. This is why she became an enduring inspiration in the struggle against fascism," Nazrul said.

"Those who sent her to jail and made her homeless could not live in peace and were forced to flee," he said referring to Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024, and forced to seek refuge in India.

Nazrul said Khaleda joined BNP on January 3, 1982, to keep the morale of party leaders and activists intact after the assassination of Ziaur Rahman in 1981.

Despite being the party founder's wife, Nazrul said Khaleda Zia rose through its ranks constitutionally, first as a primary member, then vice-chairperson, acting chairperson and later elected chairperson through the party council.

Of her 43-year political life, he said, she led BNP for 41 years as its top leader, strengthening and organising the party.

Nazrul said Khaleda Zia led a continuous nine-year movement against Ershad's military rule and restored democracy through a free, fair and neutral election in 1991.

"She was the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh and the second in the Muslim world," he said.

Khaleda Zia passed away early Tuesday at Evercare Hospital at the age of 79 after suffering from multiple critical health complications.​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda Zia's role in Bangladesh-China ties will be remembered forever, Beijing says

Expresses deep condolences

www.thedailystar.net

Khaleda Zia's role in Bangladesh-China ties will be remembered forever, Beijing says

Expresses deep condolences

Photo: Collected

China today said the contributions of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to strengthening Bangladesh-China friendship and bilateral relations would be remembered forever.


"Khaleda Zia is an old and dear friend of the Chinese people and long committed to China-Bangladesh friendship," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing.


China expressed deep condolences over the passing of Khaleda Zia and heartfelt sympathies to the interim government of Bangladesh and to Khaleda Zia's family.

While in office as prime minister of Bangladesh, the spokesperson said, Khaleda Zia made active efforts to develop Bangladesh-China ties, during which the two countries established a comprehensive partnership of cooperation featuring long-term friendship, equality, and mutual benefit.


Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen attended the funeral of Khaleda Zia at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka today, along with other dignitaries.​

 

[Saif]

Khaleda Zia's janaza: What message did the massive turnout convey?

The truth this funeral reveals isn't only about politics; it exposes deepest layers of statecraft, reminds us power is never merely a machine of administration

en.prothomalo.com

Khaleda Zia's janaza: What message did the massive turnout convey?

Sarfuddin Ahmed
Published: 01 Jan 2026, 14: 25

Crowds throng Manik Miah Avenue to take part in Khaleda Zia's janaza Prothom Alo

The sky over Manik Mia Avenue was heavy, not only with grief, but with the weight of history. The janaza (funeral prayer) of BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia began at 3:03 pm. Two minutes later, at 3:05 pm, it ended.

Yet what happened in those two minutes will resonate in Bangladesh’s political history for decades to come.At that moment, Manik Mia Avenue was no longer merely a road. It had turned into a sea of people. From Bijoy Sarani, Khamarbari, Karwan Bazar, Farmgate, Shahbagh, and Mohammadpur, people converged from every direction to a single point.

Khaleda Zia had been outside power, imprisoned, ill, silent. The state narrative sought to render her almost invisible. But this funeral proved that in politics, visibility does not always come with power.

No one could count how many were there. Some said two million, some said three million, others said even more.

But numbers are secondary here. One truth is certain. This was an unprecedented funeral prayer in Bangladesh’s history. Even on a global scale, it stands out as a rare gathering among funerals of deceased Muslim leaders.

This scene reminds us of Tehran in 1989. It brings to mind the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, where tens of millions were present. That sea of people was not made up of party workers; it was the people’s final utterance toward a political life.

Iran's religious leader Ayatullah Khomeni passed away in June 1098. Over 10 million people attended his janaza Collected

It also recalls Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, Palestine’s Yasser Arafat, and South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, figures whose funerals drew people not merely to mourn, but to declare their own place in history.

Khaleda Zia’s funeral was such a moment. It was not just the farewell to a leader; it was the answer to a question: where does the public heart stand in Bangladesh’s politics?

For a long time, Khaleda Zia had been outside power, imprisoned, ill, silent. The state narrative sought to render her almost invisible. But this funeral proved that in politics, visibility does not always come with power. Sometimes it emerges through suffering, through silence. The crowd showed that they had not forgotten.

This public turnout carried not only a message of mourning for the BNP, but also one of revival. A party that has endured prolonged repression, division, and fragmentation suddenly discovered that its social roots remain intact.

This funeral gave BNP renewed confidence that politics is not run solely through administrative control; it is also driven by people’s emotions.

At the same time, the scene is a matter of deep concern for Awami League. Despite its long tenure in power, it has not been able to demonstrate such spontaneous mass gatherings for a long time. It serves as a reminder that the state and society are not the same. Even with administrative control, social legitimacy is never permanent.

The impact of this sea of people did not remain confined within the country. It was picked up by the subtle radar of international politics as well. Historically, BNP’s relationship with India has been strained.

These attendances indicate that regional powers no longer see BNP merely as a chapter of the past. They have begun to consider the party as a potential force for the future as well.

Yet at such a moment, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and handed over India’s condolence message to him. It is being described as a courtesy call and an expression of sympathy.

Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar conveying India's condolences to Tarique RahmanFrom the X handle of Riaz Hamidullah, Bangladesh's High Commissioner in Delhi

But we know that in politics, courtesy is never meaningless, never without a message, never innocuous. In the language of diplomacy, courtesy often signifies an acknowledgement of the situation, and sometimes, the keeping of a door open for the future.

In that context, delivering the condolence message through Jaishankar and handing it directly to Tarique Rahman is hard to view as mere routine protocol.

The question naturally arises as to whether this was this a subtle signal from the Modi government to the BNP?

Nothing can be said with complete certainty, because diplomacy never speaks in simple sentences. But one thing is clear: India knows how to read realities. And the reality of this sea of people on Manik Mia Avenue is unlikely to have escaped India’s diplomatic attention.

In the past, India’s relationship with the BNP was distant, at times even hostile. But politics recognises no permanent enemies or friends, only possibilities.

Khaleda Zia’s funeral made that possibility visible. And it is against the backdrop of this visible reality that Jaishankar’s condolence message must be interpreted.

This context is made even more significant by the meeting between Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Tarique Rahman, and the expression of solidarity.

In South Asian politics, Pakistan’s symbolic presence is always meaningful. This is not merely bilateral courtesy, it is a language of regional balance.

At the same time, the presence of official representatives from Bhutan, the Maldives, and Nepal, along with the participation of diplomats from many countries, together paints a picture of extensive international observation.

It is clear that opposition politics in Bangladesh is no longer just an internal matter. It has entered the calculations of regional powers as well.

These attendances indicate that regional powers no longer see BNP merely as a chapter of the past. They have begun to consider the party as a potential force for the future as well.


The truth this funeral reveals to us is not only about politics; it also exposes the deepest layers of statecraft. It reminds us that power is never merely a machine held in the hands of administration.

The permanence of power cannot be ensured through police, laws, directives, or departmental seals. The true abode of power lies in the consciousness of the people, in memory, in the depths of emotion, in the sense of justice and injustice.

When the state confines its strength solely to structures, it forgets that history is ultimately written in the feelings of the people, not in documents. The sea of people that surged at this funeral was a visible manifestation of that popular sentiment.

When the state seeks to silence the voices of the people, they change the language. They do not chant slogans or raise banners, they speak in the language of history. The funeral ceases to be merely a religious ritual; it becomes a silent referendum.

Yet, it would be wrong to interpret this sea of people as a final verdict. History never delivers its final word in a single day.

* Sarfuddin Ahmed is Assistant Editor, Prothom Alo.​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

She was on life support system for a long long time. After her son came to BD, it was removed.

 

[Saif]

Dignified farewell to Begum Zia

As an ending, it was the height of dignity. Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis from across the country gathered to pay their last respects, alongside foreign delegates, as she was laid to rest with full state honours beside her husband. This collective act of homage stood as a final testament to

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Dignified farewell to Begum Zia

SYED MUHAMMED SHOWAIB
Published :
Jan 03, 2026 00:15
Updated :
Jan 03, 2026 00:15

As an ending, it was the height of dignity. Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis from across the country gathered to pay their last respects, alongside foreign delegates, as she was laid to rest with full state honours beside her husband. This collective act of homage stood as a final testament to the deep and lasting regard she held in the public imagination. Yet just two years ago, such a moment of national reverence would have seemed almost unimaginable, especially given the relentless political persecution she had endured.


Before the interim government rose to power following a popular mass uprising, she was effectively a prisoner of the state. Despite serious health complications requiring advanced treatment abroad, she was denied permission to leave the country by the regime. The home where she had lived since 1981, legally acquired after her husband's assassination, was seized by force. This eviction was orchestrated as a public spectacle of humiliation. A teary-eyed Khaleda Zia later told reporters that security personnel assaulted her household staff, removed her from her bedroom and forced her into a car. She also witnessed her son Tarique Rahman being driven into exile in an ambulance after enduring severe physical torture. Her party's leaders and activists were imprisoned or trapped in case after case while much of the media remained silent or tightly constrained. Even her husband's burial site where she has now been laid to rest was not spared from controversy. At that stage, almost every instrument of the state appeared to have been deployed to erase her presence, her memory and her political legitimacy.

The fact that she was later honoured by the state and mourned across political divides highlights not only how circumstances had changed but how artificial that earlier erasure truly was. In her final years, Khaleda Zia witnessed a Bangladesh gradually returning to democratic norms after fifteen years of authoritarian rule. She lived to see a freer media environment in which journalists and commentators could evaluate her records openly and discuss about her virtues and failures alike. In death, she left a political culture that was, perhaps for the first time in years, at least permitted to attempt a more honest conversation.

For the Gen-Z generation that unleashed the mass uprising, Khaleda Zia was not a governing figure they experienced directly, as her years in office and her street leadership as opposition belonged to an earlier era. Older generations, however, remember her for the remarkable decency and graciousness she displayed throughout her political career. Even amidst intense provocation, she was never known to resort to vulgarity or undignified language against opponents. Tellingly, following the 2024 uprising that toppled the previous regime, she uttered no bitter recriminations or calls for retribution, demonstrating that true triumph lies in civility rather than vengeance. In a political culture where invective has long been mistaken for strength, her restraint was exceptional. It showed that political struggle need not be anchored in hatred and that dignity itself can be a form of resistance.

If civility defined her temperament, firmness defined her politics. Khaleda Zia was known above all for her uncompromising decision-making, earning the epithet "the uncompromising leader." In 1986, when some opposition leaders opted to participate in elections under military ruler HM Ershad, she refused to lend legitimacy to the authoritarian rule. She chose confrontation over accommodation, a decision whose wisdom became clearer with time. A similar resolve emerged during the military backed caretaker government of 2007. Arrested and imprisoned amid speculation that both major political leaders would be exiled, she refused to leave the country. According to widely circulated accounts, she declared that she had no address abroad and would rather die on her own soil than live in exile. That refusal is widely believed to have played a critical role in frustrating plans to implement "minus two formula" aimed at removing both female leaders from politics.

Like her late husband President Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia cultivated a personal image of integrity despite operating in a political environment rife with corruption. Prolonged investigations by rival governments which held power for nearly two decades produced only weak cases including the notorious Zia Charitable Trust case, indicating a scarcity of substantive evidence against her personally. Yet this personal probity contrasted with broader governance challenges during her tenure, including unchecked corruption among party associates and public servants, which contributed to Bangladesh being ranked among the world's most corrupt nations for several years. Militant violence also marked one phase of her administration, though her government later implemented policies that significantly curtailed extremism. These shortcomings remain part of her record and must be acknowledged candidly.

Her tenure as the country's first woman prime minister was consequential for women's advancement. As the country's first female prime minister, she expanded access to education by making schooling compulsory for girls up to the eighth grade. Her administration took an unusually assertive stance against child marriage, empowering magistrates to intervene directly. Legal measures addressing domestic violence were strengthened through specialised tribunals that led to the precautionary jailing of many accused husbands. Crucially, because it originated from a leader trusted by conservative constituencies, it faced less backlash than it might have otherwise, making their impact deeper and more enduring.

Khaleda Zia possessed the wisdom to recognise that leaders cannot be experts in every field. She valued capable individuals and took expert advice seriously when making decisions. This willingness to defer to knowledge, while retaining ultimate responsibility, enabled her to compensate for an unconventional political entry and to manage crises that might have overwhelmed a less adaptive leader.

The journey of Khaleda Zia mirrors the tumultuous course of modern Bangladesh itself. It spanned the heights of power, the depths of persecution and finally culminated in a dignified farewell of national respect. More than a record of offices held or battles fought, her life demonstrated that politics grounded in resolve, restraint and respect can withstand even the harshest attempts to undermine it. Her name is not inscribed on many buildings or monuments, but the quiet dignity with which she conducted herself has a lasting impact. That's something people will always remember.​