BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Tuesday paid an emotional tribute to party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, remembering her as a tender and loving mother who was also a steadfast guardian for her family and the nation.

 “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),” he wrote in an emotional post on his verified Facebook page.

To many, he said, she was the leader of the nation, an uncompromising leader, the ‘Mother of Democracy’, the ‘Mother of Bangladesh’.

Tarique said the country today 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,” he said.

Though her life was illuminated by sacrifice and struggle, Tarique said at home Khaleda was their truest guardian, a mother whose infinite love gave them strength in their darkest moments.

He said Khaleda 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.”

Khaleda Zia: 41 years at BNP’s helm - an uncompromising leader

For the country, Tarique said she lost her husband and 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,” he said.