Khaleda Zia shaped BD politics: Fakhrul
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said the life and political struggle of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia had become inseparably linked with Bangladesh’s destiny.
He made the remarks at a milad and doa mahfil held at the BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan, marking Khaleda Zia’s 82nd birth anniversary. The BNP had announced programmes to observe the anniversary on August 15.
Fakhrul said Khaleda Zia’s leadership and repeated struggles to restore democracy had left a lasting imprint on the country’s political history.
He said the BNP continued to draw inspiration from her political legacy and urged party leaders and activists to strengthen the organisation so it could effectively serve the country.
With the BNP now leading the government, Fakhrul said people expected the party to carry forward Khaleda Zia’s policies and vision. The BNP returned to power after winning the February 2026 parliamentary election, with Tarique Rahman taking office as prime minister.
Fakhrul said the government remained committed to implementing the party’s 31-point programme, strengthening democratic institutions and safeguarding the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Finance Minister and BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury described Khaleda Zia as one of the country’s most popular political leaders, saying repeated attempts to politically weaken her had failed to diminish her public standing.
He said the recognition Khaleda Zia received from the people during her lifetime and after her death remained a source of pride for the BNP.
BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan recalled Khaleda Zia’s entry into active politics in the early 1980s and her role in the movement against the military rule of HM Ershad.
He said Khaleda, who had previously remained largely outside active politics, emerged as a frontline leader of the anti-autocracy movement and later became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister.
Moyeen Khan said Khaleda Zia continued to uphold her political principles through years of confrontation, legal battles and imprisonment.
Khaleda Zia died on December 30, 2025. Her political career spanned several decades, including three terms as prime minister, and she remained one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh’s politics.
Among those attending the programme were BNP Standing Committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, along with senior party leaders and members of the government.
