Khaleda Zia’s prolonged illness has, over the years, drawn multiple public remarks from Sheikh Hasina—many of them viewed as controversial.
In 2018, amid “controversial” legal proceedings against Khaleda Zia, Hasina accused her of faking illness to avoid court appearances. At a party event, she stated that Khaleda was “pretending to be sick” and that her health condition was not serious enough to prevent her from attending court.
Hasina implied that Khaleda’s tactics were designed to delay justice.
In 2021, when Khaleda Zia’s family urged the government to allow her to travel abroad for advanced treatment, Hasina responded by saying she had shown “great generosity” by suspending Zia’s sentence and allowing her to stay at home.
However, she emphasised that the matter was bound by “legal constraints” and not subject to political discretion.
The most controversial remark from Hasina came on October 2, 2023, during a public address in London.
“(I) hear every day that she’s dying, that she’s on the verge of death. She’s over 80 (years old). Her time has come. And she’s also sick. There’s no point in all this crying and lamenting,” Hasina mocked the repeated public concern over Zia’s condition.
The comment was widely condemned as insensitive and politically inappropriate.
