Dhaka – In an emotionally charged Facebook post, Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, said that his mother had sacrificed her entire life for the nation.
“To me, Khaleda Zia was a tender and loving mother who devoted her entire life to the country and its people,” said Rahman, referring to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson who passed away in a Dhaka hospital on Tuesday.
Tarique Rahman, the party’s acting chairman, had returned home from exile in London just five days earlier, receiving a hero’s welcome from BNP supporters.
In his post, he announced that his mother had answered the call of Almighty Allah and departed from this world — Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Indeed, we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return).
“To many, she was the leader of the nation, an uncompromising leader, the Mother of Democracy, the Mother of Bangladesh. But to me, she was simply my loving mother,” he wrote.
Tarique Rahman reflected that throughout her life, she stood firmly against autocracy, fascism, and domination, leading the struggle for freedom, sovereignty, and the restoration of democracy.
“Though her public life was illuminated by sacrifice and struggle, at home she was our truest guardian — a mother whose infinite love gave us strength in our darkest moments,” he added.
He noted that she endured 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.”
“For this 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,” said the BNP acting chairman.
“She leaves behind an unforgettable legacy of patriotism, sacrifice, and resistance, a legacy that will live on in the democratic conscience of Bangladesh.”
Mr. Rahman concluded by saying, “I ask you all to pray for my mother. My family and I remain eternally grateful for the profound emotion, love, and respect shown by the people of this country and by the world.”
