‘To me, Khaleda Zia was a tender and loving mother who devoted her entire life to the country and its people’ – Tarique Rahman

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has paid an emotional tribute to his mother, the late BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, through a post on his verified Facebook page.

Tarique Rahman shared the post at 2:03 pm on Tuesday (30 December).

In the post, he wrote:

“My mother, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, has responded to the call of Almighty Allah and left us today. 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. Today, the country mourns the loss of a guiding presence that shaped its democratic aspirations.

To me, Khaleda Zia was a tender and loving mother who devoted her entire life to the country and its people. Throughout her life, she stood firm against autocracy, fascism, and domination, leading the struggle for freedom, sovereignty, and the restoration of democracy.

Though her 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. 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 the 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. She leaves behind an unforgettable legacy of patriotism, sacrifice, and resistance, a legacy that will live on in the democratic conscience of Bangladesh.

I ask you all to pray for my mother. For the profound emotion, love, and respect shown by the people of this country and by the world, my family and I remain eternally grateful.”