"Deeply saddened": PM Modi condoles death of Khaleda Zia, recalls 2015 meeting in Dhaka

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said he was "deeply saddened" to learn about the passing of Khaleda Zia, who died at the age of 80 and prayed for strength for her family to bear the loss.

"Deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. Our sincerest condolences to her family and all the people of Bangladesh. May the Almighty grant her family the fortitude to bear this tragic loss," the Prime Minister said.

Begum Khaleda Zia died in the early morning today while she was undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 80.

According to a BNP statement on Facebook, Zia died at around 6 am (local time), shortly after the Fajr prayer.

"Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6:00 am, just after Fajr prayer," the BNP statement read.

"We pray for the eternal peace of her soul and ask everyone to pray for her departed soul," it added.

Zia was admitted to the capital Dhaka's Evercare Hospital on November 23 with a lung infection. The former Prime Minister has been suffering from various physical ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney complications, for a long time, and earlier this month, she was sent to London for advanced medical treatment for her ailments. This morning a large crowd gathered outside the hospital even as Begum Zia's son and Acting Chairman of the BNP, Tarique Rahman, arrived to pay his respects to his late mother.

Recalling her political legacy, PM Modi in his post noted that as the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia made significant contributions to the country's development and to India-Bangladesh relations, adding that her vision and legacy would continue to guide bilateral ties.

"As the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, her important contributions towards the development of Bangladesh, as well as India-Bangladesh relations, will always be remembered. I recall my warm meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015. We hope that her vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership. May her soul rest in peace," the PM added. (ANI)