Eighteen business organisations on Monday paid homage to former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, offering prayers and seeking eternal peace for her departed soul at a memorial and doa mehfil.

The programme, titled “Memorial and Doa Mehfil for Late Begum Khaleda Zia,” was organised by the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICC Bangladesh) at a city hotel in the afternoon.

Leaders of the participating business bodies said that under Khaleda Zia’s leadership, Bangladesh not only safeguarded democracy but also embarked on a major journey towards economic advancement.

Speaking at the event, ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman said Khaleda Zia’s initiatives in democratic reform and poverty reduction were “unparalleled.”

Referring to the USD 500 million KAFCO fertiliser project undertaken with Japan, Denmark and the Netherlands during BNP’s second term in office, he said the country’s GDP had strengthened significantly at the time, while Bangladesh made notable progress in attracting foreign investment.

“Bangladesh reached a unique height in privatisation under Khaleda Zia’s leadership. Through this single initiative, the country’s name reached the global economy,” Mahbubur Rahman said.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Taskeen Ahmed said the new generation of business leaders wanted to move Bangladesh’s economy forward towards prosperity under the leadership of Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman. He added that business organisations were committed to cooperating with him.

Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) President Abdul Hai Sarker said Khaleda Zia’s most distinctive quality was that she spoke less and listened more.

“She listened attentively to businesspeople and took decisions based on fairness and her own judgment,” he said.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Mohammad Hatem said the journey of prosperity in Bangladesh’s garment sector had begun under Khaleda Zia’s leadership.

“She thought about the country and its people throughout her life. I consider myself fortunate to have attended the janaza of former President Ziaur Rahman and, similarly, to have been able to attend Khaleda Zia’s janaza as well,” he added.

Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) President Abdul Muktadir said the liberalisation that helped develop Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical sector was largely driven by BNP and Khaleda Zia.

The programme began with a one-minute silence to pay tribute to Khaleda Zia and to mourn her death.

From the BNP, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Abdul Moyeen Khan were present at the event.

Leaders and top representatives of several other business bodies also attended, including the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI), Bangladesh Insurance Association (BIA), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB), Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC), Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association (BSIA), Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA) and the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB).