WEB DESK: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq visited the residence of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Wednesday.
During his visit, he met with Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, and her daughter to express heartfelt condolences on the demise of their mother. Both family members extended their thanks to the Speaker for his sympathies and attendance at the funeral prayers.
Ayaz Sadiq also held a meeting with Bangladesh’s National Security Advisor Khalilur Rahman, conveying condolences on behalf of Pakistan’s President and Prime Minister. Additionally, he engaged in discussions with Bangladesh’s Law Adviser, covering topics of mutual interest.
Khaleda Zia, who made history as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister in 1991 and had a long-standing political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80 following a prolonged illness. Her party, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), confirmed that she succumbed to advanced cirrhosis of the liver as well as complications from arthritis, diabetes, and heart and chest issues.
Zia had sought medical treatment in London in early 2025, spending four months abroad before returning home. Despite being out of power since 2006 and facing years in jail or under house arrest, Khaleda and her centrist BNP remained highly influential in Bangladesh’s political landscape.
The BNP is strongly positioned for the February parliamentary elections, with her son and acting party chairman Tarique Rahman recently returning from 17 years of self-imposed exile. The 60-year-old Tarique is widely regarded as a leading contender for the role of prime minister.
