Former home minister Sahara Khatun passes away

Former home minister Sahara Khatun has passed away. 

She breathed her last at 11:25pm (BDST) on Thursday in Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital.

She was flown there on July 6 for better treatment. 

President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and presidium members of Awami League have expressed deep sorrow at the death of Sahara Khatun.

Before going to Thailand, the 77-year-old lawmaker was undergoing treatment at the capital's United Hospital with several health complications since June 2. 

Born on March 1, 1943, Sahara Khatun was involved in politics since her student life.

She entered the national political scene in 1991 when she contested in the 5th Parliamentary elections as an Awami League candidate.

Since then, Sahara Khatun continued being a crucial part of Awami League's politics. 

She came in the scene again in 2008 upon the arrest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the caretaker government's regime. 

Sahara Khatun was one of the forerunners to induce a legal as well as a political battle in Hasina's favour. She herself was charged with politically motivated crimes.

Sahara Khatun served as the home minister from 2009 to 2012.

In a cabinet reshuffle in 2012, she was relieved of her duties as the home minister and made the minister of post & telecommunication of the government.