PM Hasina mourns death of Queen Elizabeth-II

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed profound shock and grief at the death of the Queen Elizabeth-II.

She wrote a letter on Thursday to convey condolence to her UK counterpart Elizabeth Truss MP, said a PMO press release on Friday.

The Bangladesh premier wrote, ‘I, on behalf of the Government and the people of Bangladesh, and on my behalf, convey to you the most profound shock and grief, and through you, our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the people of the United Kingdom at the sudden passing away of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth The Second."

"Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved Royal family members and the mourning people of the United Kingdom as we pray for the eternal peace and salvation of Her Majesty’s departed soul," said Hasina.

She mentioned that Her Majesty the Queen was not only the pillar and strength of the 2.5 billion Commonwealth people but also an epitome of grace, dignity, wisdom, and service. She wrote, "As the most legendary and longest reigning Monarch in the world’s contemporary history, Her Majesty set the highest standards of duty, service, and sacrifice and left an unmatchable legacy of dedication to her countless people around the world."

The Bangladesh PM reinforced that Her Majesty will remain a tremendous source of inspiration, courage, and strength for our nationals, who will be recalled with great reverence for her two historic royal visits to the home of the Bengali people.

She said, "The memoirs between Her Majesty and our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the UK and two Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings in Ottawa and Kingston will remain everlasting. I greatly admire our last personal interactions at the 2018 CHOGM in London."

She mentioned that Her Majesty’s most passionate message of felicitation extended to the people of Bangladesh on the Golden Jubilee of our independence - ‘We share ties of friendship and affection, which remain the foundation of our partnership and are as important today as fifty years ago.’ - shall be carried forward heart to heart over and over again while nourishing the relations between the two Commonwealth Nations.

"With her saddest demise, the people of Bangladesh and I, personally, have not only lost a most trusted friend but also a true guardian," she added.

Sheikh Hasina offered her prayers for bequeathing courage and fortitude to the members of the Royal family and the people of the United Kingdom, the realms, and the Commonwealth to withstand this irreparable loss.