Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Jan 2, 2025 (BSS) - The leaders of 1990's DUCSU and All-Party Student Alliance today paid tributes to the grave of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

After paying tributes, the then vice-president (VP) of Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) and the convener of the All-Party Student Alliance Aman Ullah Aman along with other leaders placed floral wreaths, offered fateha and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul of Begum Khaleda Zia.

Habibur Rahman Habib, Jahir Uddin Sawpan, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Nazim Uddin Alam, Khandakar Lutfar Rahman, Najmul Haque Pradhan and Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu took part in the tribute paying event among other student leaders of the 1990 anti-autocrat movement.

Talking to media, Aman Ullah Aman said, "We came here to pay tribute to the uncompromising leader Khaleda Zia. We prayed to Allah for her eternal peace."

"The sacrifice and role of Khaleda Zia against the autocrat and fascists cannot be expressed in words. In spite of being subjected to torture and physical illness, she refused to go anywhere and never abandoned the movement for democracy."

"Hasina forcefully sent her to jail and tortured there and she was subjected to slow poisoning by the Hasina-led government and she was denied minimum medication and treatment," said Aman, adding, "Hasina and Awami League can never avoid the responsibly of the inhumane torture that she unleashed on Khaleda Zia."

Sheikh Hasina must be held responsible for this, he said.
 
"Khaleda was the sentinel of the national sovereignty and democracy and the symbol of unity. Her funeral proved what she was for the country," Aman Ullah said.

Noting the sacrifices of Khaleda Zia, he said, Khaleda Zia chose to stay in the country and refused to go abroad and for this boldness her son Tarique Rahman was subjected to inhumane torture and forced to live in exile. "Countrymen marked Tarique Rahman's homecoming spontaneously," he added.

Khaleda Zia died on December 30 at the Evercare Hospital while undergoing treatment. Her Janaza was marked by unprecedented crowd in the country and she was buried beside her late husband President Ziaur Rahman's grave at the Zia Uddyan located at Sher-e Bangla Nagar in the capital.

BNP announced seven-day mourning following the demise of the party's chairman Begum Khaleda Zia.