"The 80-year-old fought to restore democracy after military takeover in the 1980s, but corruption claims tainted her legacy. In early December, 48-year-old Tipu Sultan, a grassroots activist of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) stood outside Dhaka's Evercare Hospital holding a placard that read: I want to donate my kidney to Begum Khaleda Zia. A video of Sultan and the placard went viral in Bangladesh, a country of 170 million people that has been on edge since Khaleda, the BNP chairperson and former prime minister,"
"Tipu, too, has since spent his days on the pavement opposite the hospital gate, promising to stay put until he receives news of her recovery. She is like my mother. She sacrificed everything for democracy, he told Al Jazeera. My only prayer is that God allows her to see the upcoming election. It wasn't to be. Early in the morning on December 30, the 80-year-old Khaleda passed away in hospital, her party announced."
Begum Khaleda Zia was an 80-year-old political leader who fought to restore democracy after a military takeover in the 1980s. Corruption allegations tainted her legacy and made her a polarising figure. She was admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 and inspired devoted supporters, including 48-year-old grassroots activist Tipu Sultan, who stood outside the hospital offering to donate a kidney and vowed to remain until her recovery. Her uncompromising opposition tactics, election boycotts, and street movements generated fierce loyalty and equal distrust. She died early on December 30, closing a more than three-decade chapter of rivalry with Sheikh Hasina.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]