DHAKA, Sept 12, 2022 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said she lost a true guardian at the death of veteran Awami League (AL) leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, recalling her great contribution to the country's all the democratic and progressive movements.

In a condolence message, the premier said, "The nation has incurred an irreparable loss and we lost a veteran political leader and I, myself, lost a true guardian at the demise of Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury."

She said Sajeda Chowdhury played a pivotal role in country's all democratic and progressive movements that included six-point movement of 1966 and mass upsurge of 1969.

Sheikh Hasina, also AL's President, recalled with gratitude that Sajeda Chowdhury had played a great role in electing her as party president in her absence in its 1981 national council, a press release of the Prime Minister's Press Wing said.

The premier said she got Sajeda Chowdhury as her guardian since she returned to the country on May 17 in 1981.

Since then, Sajeda Chowdhury, Deputy Leader of the Parliament, AL Presidium Member and an organiser of the Liberation War, was her shadow companion, she said.

In the condolence message, Sheikh Hasina said Sajeda Chowdhury got interested in the AL politics since she met Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during the election campaign of the Juktafront in 1954.

She then joined the AL in 1956 and played an important role in all the movements, the premier said.

Sajeda Chowdhury was elected one of the seven gano parishad members in 1970's election, she said.

The premier added that she was entrusted with the responsibility of general secretary of the Bangladesh Mohila Awami League from 1969 to 1975.

Sajeda Chowdhury led the party as its acting general secretary by enduring inhuman torture and jail after assassination of the Father of the Nation with most of his family members, she said.

She served the AL as its general secretary from 1986 to 1992 and as presidium member till her death.

The prime minister expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of Sajeda Chowdhury.

She prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed profound sympathy to her bereaved family members.

The veteran AL leader breathed her last at a city hospital last night at the age of 87.