Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has expressed deep sorrow over the death of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. In a condolence message sent to the media on Tuesday, the organization’s Amir Allama Muhibullah Babunagari and Secretary General Allama Sajedur Rahman conveyed their grief and prayed for the forgiveness of her soul. They also extended sympathy to her bereaved family. The Hefazat leaders described Begum Zia as a courageous, patriotic Bangladeshi Muslim woman who supported Islamic values and national sovereignty. They recalled her 2013 stance against the Shahbagh movement, which she termed “atheists’ square,” and her open support for Hefazat’s May 5 Dhaka blockade. According to the statement, her uncompromising political role inspired the people and made her a respected national figure before her death. The statement further said that Khaleda Zia’s long struggle against Indian dominance and the “fascist Hasina government” would remain a memorable chapter in Bangladesh’s political history. Hefazat expressed hope that the current BNP would continue her ideals of sovereignty and anti-hegemony politics.