Dhaka, Dec. 30 -- Following the demise of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Tuesday morning, party leaders expressed their deep sorrow, calling it a "great setback" for the party and a "massive loss" for the nation.

Begum Khaleda Zia died in the early morning today at the age of 80, while she was undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

According to a BNP statement on Facebook, Zia died at around 6 am (local time), shortly after the Fajr prayer.

"Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6:00 am, just after Fajr prayer," the BNP statement read.

"We pray for the eternal peace of her soul and ask everyone to pray for her departed soul," it added.

Following her de...