Staff Correspondent

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday said the nation will never forget the contributions of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, describing her as a towering figure who remained a source of strength and shelter for the people until her death. 

“She became a towering figure to the people of this country. She provided shade to the entire nation like a giant tree until her death. Her memory will remain forever alive in our hearts,” he said.

Rizvi, who has recently been inducted into the BNP Standing Committee, made the remarks while addressing a doa and milad mahfil organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Lawyers Forum at the Supreme Court in the capital, marking Khaleda Zia’s 81st birth anniversary.

He said Khaleda Zia endured arrests, oppression and persecution, while the government ignored her deteriorating health.

“The fascist Awami League government did not provide her with proper treatment during her imprisonment. She was also not given treatment during the 1/11 episode,” the BNP leader said.

He said BNP leaders and activists were not deterred by repression by the then government, including arrests, cases, remand and interrogation, as they drew inspiration from Khaleda Zia.

According to Rizvi, Khaleda Zia’s political career demonstrated an “extraordinary and unprecedented” consistency between her words and actions. “That is why the people never forgot her. When the first fair, free and inclusive election was held, Begum Zia emerged victorious in 1991,” he said.

He said Khaleda Zia never deviated from her commitment to the country’s independence and sovereignty, whether in government or on the streets.

Referring to the sharing of the Ganges waters, the BNP leader said Khaleda Zia had raised Bangladesh’s demand for its rightful share at the United Nations when she was prime minister. 

He said Khaleda Zia introduced free education for girls up to the intermediate level and had pledged to extend the facility to the bachelor’s level if she returned to power.

Rizvi said Khaleda Zia will remain immortal in the nation’s memory for three commitments: independence and sovereignty, democracy and the rule of law.