Dhaka, Dec. 30 -- BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Tuesday paid an emotional tribute to party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, remembering her as a tender and loving mother who was also a steadfast guardian for her family and the nation.

"My mother, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, has responded to the call of Almighty Allah and left us today. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (Indeed, we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return)," he wrote in an emotional post on his verified Facebook page.

To many, he said, she was the leader of the nation, an uncompromising leader, the 'Mother of Democracy', the 'Mother of Bangladesh'.

Tarique said the country today mourns the loss of a guiding presence that shaped its democratic aspirations.

"...