United News of Bangladesh

BNP on Tuesday expelled nine leaders at different levels for violating party discipline by carrying out organisational activities against its decisions. The decision was announced in a media release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. The expelled leaders are BNP Assistant International Affairs Secretary Barrister Rumeen Farhana, National Executive Committee members Muhammad Gias Uddin, Mohammad Shah Alam, Hasan Mamun and Abdul Khaleq, former Vice-President of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Secretary General of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Welfare Front Tarun Dey, former Convener of Dhaka North City BNP Saiful Alam Nirob, Sylhet district BNP Vice-President Mamunur Rashid, and President of Bancharampur upazila BNP in Brahmanbaria district agriculturist Mehdi Hasan Palash. The party said they have been expelled from BNP’s primary membership as well as from all posts at every level of the party for breaching organisational discipline. Party sources said the nine leaders were expelled for submitting nomination papers to contest the 13th parliamentary election against the party decision.

History rarely announces its chosen figures in advance. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has proven it. Her life was a testament to resilience, determination and leadership, marked by an unwavering commitment to democracy and deep patriotism. Starting as a homemaker, she entered politics seven months after the assassination of her husband, late President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and rose to become Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister in less than a decade. Over a political career spanning nearly 43 years, she faced personal tragedies, imprisonment and political turbulence, yet remained a steadfast leader and a unifying symbol of democracy in Bangladesh. According to political analysts, Khaleda’s rise began with public sympathy as the wife of Ziaur Rahman, but she soon turned that sympathy into genuine respect through her merit, modesty, generosity, wisdom and soft-spoken manner. Political analyst and author Mohiuddin Ahmad, in his book Khaleda, wrote, “In practical terms, she was the first Prime Minister of independent Bangladesh elected under a neutral government. No one can take away this achievement from her.” Late journalist Mahfuz Ullah, in the foreword to his book ‘Begum Khaleda Zia: Her Life, Her Story’, highlighted her unique rise, writing, “She (Khaleda Zia) carved out an independent political position at a time when society was overwhelmingly male-dominated.” Khaleda Zia entered politics with no prior experience, joining BNP in 1981 to help stabilise the party during internal divisions after her husband’s death. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming senior vice chairperson in March 1983, acting chairperson in January 1984, and BNP chairperson unopposed in May 1984, still under the age of 40. Top foreign dignitaries to attend Khaleda Zia’s funeral Under her leadership, BNP came to power three times, and she personally never lost an election. She became Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister in 1991 and the second woman to lead a Muslim-majority country after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto. Analysts describe her as a charismatic and uncompromising leader. She led a long struggle against military rule under HM Ershad, forming a seven-party alliance that played a key role in his fall. Her political journey was not without hardships. She endured imprisonment, family tragedies—including the deaths of her husband and younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko—and repeated political harassment. Even when the army-backed government in 2007 offered her opportunities to return to power or to go abroad, she firmly refused, saying that Bangladesh was her only home and the place where she wished to live until her death. Through this stance, she emerged as a symbol of resilience, integrity and national unity. Khaleda Zia was also known for her pragmatic approach. She supported dialogue and compromise when necessary, including the introduction of a neutral caretaker government system into the constitution, even when initially opposed within her party. She skillfully led BNP through multiple alliances, protests, and elections, balancing strategic decisions with her principles. Born on August 15, 1945, as Khaleda Khan and nicknamed ‘Putul’ by her family, she married Ziaur Rahman in 1960 and became a widow at 36, raising her two sons, Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, while gradually emerging as a decisive political leader. Throughout her leadership of BNP, Khaleda Zia earned respect not only from her followers but also across political parties. Analysts describe her as a unifying figure, a champion of democracy, and a symbol of perseverance who transformed Bangladesh’s political landscape, paving the way for women to lead at the highest level. Tarique pays heartfelt tribute to Khaleda, hails her as a loving mother Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 due to heart and lung infections and passed away at 6:00 pm on Tuesday. She was nominated for three constituencies—Dinajpur-3, Feni-1 and Bogura-7—for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, although her party also fielded alternative candidates in view of her critical health condition. Khaleda Zia leaves behind a legacy as a steadfast leader, a symbol of unity and one of Bangladesh’s most influential and enduring political figures.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday called on party members and supporters to transform their grief over the passing of Chairperson Khaleda Zia into renewed determination, strengthening BNP into an unstoppable force and advancing the cause of a truly democratic Bangladesh. “Let us turn the grief over Khaleda Zia’s death into strength, build BNP into an unstoppable party, and establish Bangladesh as a truly democratic country,” he said. Fakhrul spoke to reporters after a meeting of the party’s National Standing Committee at the Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Tuesday afternoon. “The passing of our national leader is an irreplaceable loss in Bangladesh’s political history, and filling this void will not be easy. She left us at a time when she was most needed and when the nation was moving towards elections to strengthen democracy and establish a democratic system. She left us at a critical moment for our country,” he said.  Fakhrul said the grief and sorrow over the demise of their topmost leader is very difficult for them to bear, but they wanted to transform this grief into strength. By following the path laid out by Khaleda, he said they want to give democracy an institutional shape in Bangladesh and establish democracy firmly in the country through a free and fair election, Speaking outside the BNP Chairperson’s office with members of the Standing Committee, Fakhrul said Khaleda Zia was not only a great politician for Bangladesh but also a respected figure in the democratic world as she dedicated her whole life to democracy. He described her as a brave, wise, and exceptional leader who fought repeatedly to protect democracy, even facing imprisonment and persecution. Tarique pays heartfelt tribute to Khaleda, hails her as a loving mother “Today, she is no longer with us,” Fakhrul said, his voice choking with emotion. He also said Khaleda spent almost her entire political life fighting for democracy and upholding its values.  “She served as Prime Minister three times, working to strengthen democracy and improve people’s lives. Even as an opposition leader, she continued her efforts to support democratic institutions,” the BNP leader said.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside her husband and late President Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital, following her namaz-e-janaza at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday afternoon. “We, the Standing Committee, have decided that her Janaza will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2:00 pm at the field of the South Plaza of the Parliament House and across the entire area of Manik Mia Avenue,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee at the Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Tuesday, he also said the Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque will lead the Janaza. Fakhrul said BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan will conduct the Janaza proceedings. Following the Janaza, he said, Khaleda Zia will be buried beside the grave of Ziaur Rahman, Bangladesh’s proclaimer of independence, and introducer of multi-party democracy, popularly known as ‘Rakhal Raja’. Fakhrul urged all those intending to join the janaza to maintain strict discipline during the janaza and burial, requesting that no one disrupt the ceremony or move forward for photographs, and emphasised the importance of showing respect and preserving the solemnity of the occasion. He also called for prayers to the Almighty Allah for Khaleda Zia’s soul, seeking that she be granted a place in Jannah. The BNP leader also urged all to pray that Allah gives the Zia family, especially her eldest son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, the strength to fulfill the responsibilities for the country and bear this grief. Fakhrul said the government has already declared three days of mourning, with tomorrow announced as a holiday. “You also know that the Prime Adviser has spoken to the nation, and we thank the government for their full cooperation.” Besides, he said, BNP has declared seven days of mourning. “During these seven days, we will wear black badges and raise black flags. Prayers and Quran recitations will be held at all party offices.” Earlier, the BNP Standing Committee held a meeting at the Chairperson’s Gulshan office, chaired by Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. After being under medical treatment for over a month, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia passed away at Evercare Hospital at 6 am on Tuesday.

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.

For over four decades, Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for 41 consecutive years as its chairperson, shaping not only her own remarkable political journey but also the course of the nation’s turbulent politics. Khaleda Zia, who entered politics as a homemaker with no prior political experience following the assassination of her husband and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman in 1981, went on to shape a remarkable 43-year political journey. To keep the party united amid internal divisions and political uncertainty following Ziaur Rahman’s death and the military takeover by General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, senior BNP leaders persuaded Khaleda Zia to join politics in January 1982. According to the BNP website, Khaleda Zia became a primary member of the party on January 3, 1982. She was made Senior Vice Chairperson in March 1983 and was appointed Acting Chairperson on January 12, 1984. On May 10, the same year, she was elected BNP Chairperson unopposed. She completed 41 years in that position in May this year. Under her leadership, BNP came to power thrice and played a central role in Bangladesh’s political history. She became Prime Minister by winning the fifth, sixth, and eighth parliamentary elections in 1991, 1996, and 2001, and notably never lost any election she personally contested. In 1991, Khaleda Zia became Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister and the second woman head of government in the Muslim world after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto. During her tenure, parliamentary democracy was restored in the country. Her political career was marked by a long struggle against military rule under Ershad and later political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina. Political analysts describe her as a charismatic leader who fought against authoritarian rule for nearly two and a half decades. She was also called an uncompromising leader for her steadfast struggle against autocratic ruler HM Ershad. Khaleda Zia’s leadership faced its most difficult period during the Awami League government, when she was convicted in two cases and jailed. She remained in prison for more than two years before being released in March 2020 through an executive order during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her sentence suspension was later extended periodically. Following the fall of the Awami League government after the July Mass Uprising on August 5, 2024, Khaleda Zia was freed through another executive order. Nayapaltan shrouded in grief after Khaleda Zia’s death She left for London on January 7, 2025, for advanced medical treatment and returned home on May 6 after 117 days abroad. In recent months, she was hospitalised several times due to various health complications. Born on August 15, 1945, Khaleda Zia was originally named Khaleda Khan. Her family nickname was ‘Putul’. She married Ziaur Rahman in 1960 when he was a captain in the Pakistan Army and later adopted the name Khaleda Zia. Widowed at the age of 36, she raised her two sons, Tarique Rahman and late Arafat Rahman Koko, on her own. Despite criticism from some quarters that she rose to power through political inheritance, observers note that she established her leadership in a male-dominated political landscape through determination and political skill. Late political analyst and author Mahfuz Ullah wrote a book on her life, in which he noted that Khaleda Zia carved out her own political space through merit and leadership at a time when few women led major political parties. Khaleda Zia’s namaz-e-janaza Wednesday at JS compound: Fakhrul In Bangladesh’s political history, Khaleda Zia has remained one of the most influential and enduring figures. Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital on the night of November 23 on the advice of a medical board after being diagnosed with infections in her heart and lungs and died at 6pm today (Tuesday). Meanwhile, she had been nominated for three constituencies — Dinajpur-3, Feni-1 and Bogura-7 — for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election. However, the party kept alternative candidates for her seats in view of her critical health condition.  

A pall of gloom descended on BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on Tuesday as devastated leaders and activists streamed in, many in tears, following the death of party Chairperson and three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Many leaders and activists were seen weeping openly as they mourned the loss of their beloved leader. Some party leaders also expressed anger, blaming the Sheikh Hasina government for her death. They alleged that Khaleda Zia fell seriously ill due to a lack of proper treatment during her time in jail. Meanwhile, a full recitation (Khatm) of the holy Quran began at the party office. Black flags were hoisted as a mark of mourning. Following her death, BNP announced seven days of mourning. Party flags will be kept at half-mast and black flags will be hoisted at all party offices during the mourning period. The party will also open a condolence book at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office for three days. BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan said the condolence book would be open for signatures on Tuesday from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It will remain open on Wednesday (December 31) from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and on Thursday (January 1) from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Khaleda Zia, a three-time former prime minister and BNP Chairperson, passed away at 6:00 am on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital. Khaleda Zia’s namaz-e-janaza Wednesday at JS compound: Fakhrul She was admitted to the hospital on November 23. As her condition worsened on November 27, she was shifted to the ICU, where she remained on life support until her death. Born on August 15, 1945, Khaleda Zia was Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and the second woman prime minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday informed a special meeting of the Council of Advisers that the namaz-e-janaza of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday. The janaza will be held after Zohr prayers at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, adjacent to the Manik Mia Avenue. He said Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside martyred President and freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman. Mirza Fakhrul attended the meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus following a special invitation. During the meeting, he expressed gratitude to the interim government on behalf of the family and BNP and thanked the Chief Adviser for extending all necessary assistance, including security arrangements for Begum Khaleda Zia. At the beginning of the meeting, a one-minute silence was observed in memory of three-time former Prime Minister, uncompromising leader of the democratic movement, and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, followed by prayers for the eternal peace of her soul. Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain conducted the prayers. The meeting declared a three-day state mourning starting Wednesday, along with a one-day general holiday on Wednesday. A condolence resolution was adopted at the meeting, which was read out by Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Information Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan. During the three days of state mourning, the national flag will be flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, educational institutions, and all government and private buildings across the country, as well as at Bangladesh missions abroad. At the same time, special prayers will be held in mosques across the country on Wednesday, seeking forgiveness for the departed soul of Khaleda Zia. Special prayers will also be organised at places of worship of other religions. The meeting also decided that condolence books will be opened at Bangladesh missions abroad. Prof Yunus said the government would provide all possible assistance during the burial and Namaz-e-Janaza of Khaleda Zia. Tarique, other family members were by Khaleda’s side during her demise  

BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passed away while her eldest son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman was by her bedside at Evercare Hospital on Tuesday morning At the time of her death, other close family members were also present there, party sources said. They included Tarique Rahman’s wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Zaima Rahman, and Shameela Rahman Sithi, wife of her late younger son Arafat Rahman Koko. Among other relatives, Khaleda Zia’s younger brother Shamim Eskander and his wife, as well as her elder sister Selina Islam, were at the hospital during her final moments. Some other family members were also present there. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was at the hospital at that time. Members of the medical board formed for Khaleda Zia’s treatment were also present. Khaleda’s  janaza likely on Wednesday, burial beside Ziaur Rahman: Salahuddin Begum Khaleda Zia, a three-time former prime minister and BNP chairperson, passed away at 6 am on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital. She was admitted to the hospital on November 23. As her condition worsened on November 27 she was shifted to the ICU where she remained on life support until her death. Born on August 15, 1945, Khaleda Zia was Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and the second woman prime minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.

The BNP Standing Committee sat in an emergency meeting on Tuesday to decide the party’s next course of action following the death of its chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. The meeting began at 12:38pm at the chairperson’s Gulshan office with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in the chair. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan. Tarique Rahman went straight to the Gulshan office from Evercare Hospital to join the Standing Committee meeting. Khaleda Zia passed away at Evercare Hospital at 6:00 am after receiving treatment for more than a month. Following her death, BNP has announced seven days of mourning. Party flags will be kept at half-mast and black flags will be hoisted at party offices during the mourning period.