BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday said the nation’s overwhelming show of love and solidarity made him feel the whole nation is his family at a time of greatest sorrow as he bade farewell to his mother, former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
“Yesterday, with a heart full of sorrow and gratitude, I laid my beloved mother, my first teacher in life, three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, to her final rest beside my father, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. The weight of her absence is immeasurable, but your presence, the Bangladeshi people's, has made this profound moment feel less alone,” he said in a Facebook post.
Tarique said he was deeply moved by the outpouring of love from friends, neighbours, well-wishers and families who came in their millions to honour Khaleda Zia’s life and legacy, adding that their presence alongside his family during the most difficult hours reminded him that she was not only a mother to him, but in many ways a mother of the nation.
He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to senior dignitaries from South Asian countries who attended in person, as well as to foreign governments, diplomats and partners who conveyed their condolences to the family and the party, saying their gestures of respect and sympathy touched his hearts deeply.
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“In this moment of personal loss, I cannot help but remember the ones I have lost before, my dear father, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, and my brother Arafat Rahman. And yet, to be surrounded here by so many who feel like family has been a source of comfort I never expected on a day like this. Today, at a time of greatest sorrow, I feel like this whole nation is my family,” Tarique said.
He recalled that his mother devoted her life to serving others with relentless dedication and said he felt the weight of her that legacy.
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Tarique pledged to honour it with humility and commitment adding that where her journey paused, he would strive to continue her work for the people whose faith and love had sustained her until her last breath.
“May Allah grant her eternal peace, and may we find strength in the devotion she shared with us all,” he said.