Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the nation has suffered an irreparable loss due to the death of Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury.

“We have lost a seasoned politician while I've lost a true guardian,” she said in tributes to Sajeda Chowdhury.

She expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of the presidium member of Awami League, who also served as deputy leader of the House, a minister and general secretary of Awami League.

The late leader was one of the organisers of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh.

Hasina recalled that  Sajeda Chowdhury first met Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1954 when he was conducting the election campaign of Jukta Front. And since then she was attracted to Awami politics. 

She joined the Awami League in 1956 and played a very important role in all the movements and struggles including the six-point movement of 1966 and the mass uprising of 1969. 

She was one of the seven women members of the Thana Parishad in the 1970 elections.  From 1969 to 1975, she served as the general secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Awami League, Hasina said.

The prime minister said that Sajeda led the AL as its acting general secretary after the assassination of the father of the nation with most of his family members on August 15, 1975.  She upheld the party  endured life in jail, oppression and torture. 

She again served as general secretary from 1986-1992 before becoming a presidium member.

Sheikh Hasina said that Sajeda Chowdhury's role was immense in electing her as the president of the organisation in her absence  in the National Council of Awami League held in February 1981. 

Read: AL leader Sajeda Chowdhury passes away

After returning to the country on May 17, 1981, Hasina got her as a patron. 

From then until she fell ill, she remained as a shadow companion of  Hasina.

The prime minister prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.