Pre-eminent leader Sushil Koirala’s death a loss for South Asia, Hasina says

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recalled the leadership of former Nepalese prime minister Sushil Koirala and said his death will be a loss to the South Asia region.

The president of the Nepali Congress (NC), Koirala passed away on Tuesday at the age of 77. 
 
Hasina, in a message, termed him a “pre-eminent” leader of the region, and said Bangladesh was proud to honour him as a ‘Friend of Bangladesh’ in recognition and appreciation of his role in its 1971 War of Independence.

“We, in Bangladesh, will never forget the courageous and selfless role played by him during our glorious War of Liberation,” Hasina wrote to the acting president of the Nepali Congress Ram Chnadra Poudel.
 
In the message, she said she had learnt about the death with “great shock and profound sorrow”, and conveyed the “deepest condolences” to the Nepali people on behalf of Bangladesh.
 
It is under Koirala’s leadership Nepal promulgated the new constitution through the constituent assembly in September 2015. He was the prime minister from Feb 11, 2014 to Oct 10, 2015.
 
Hasina said he steered the country “at a critical period” of its history when the nation was in the final stages of the process of Constitution writing.
 
“He also displayed steadfast leadership and great skill in guiding the country during the challenging period after the Great Earthquake of April 2015,” she wrote.
 
“His demise will be a loss not only for Nepal but for South Asian region as a whole.”
 
She said through his role in 1971, Koirala earned the “love and respect” of the people and political leadership of Bangladesh.
 
“We will surely miss his presence as a pre-eminent leader of the region,” she said.