Former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was buried beside the grave of her husband, former President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Dhaka around 4:45 pm on Wednesday with full state honors. The three-time former premier passed away at 6 am on Tuesday while undergoing treatment, prompting the interim government to declare three days of national mourning and a general holiday on Wednesday.
Massive Turnout for Funeral Prayer: Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the South Plaza of Parliament Building and along Manik Mia Avenue to attend the funeral. Devotees began arriving from early morning, with large crowds coming from across Dhaka, as well as surrounding districts. By noon, roads from Manik Mia Avenue, Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur, Bijoy Sarani, and Agargaon had become heavily crowded.
The funeral prayer began at 3:03 pm and concluded at 3:05 pm. Khaleda Zia's son BNP acting chairman addresed the massive funeral seeking prayer for the salvation of his mother's departed soul. Special arrangements were made so the public could stand along the surrounding roads. Many mourners, dressed in black and carrying BNP flags, joined in the prayer from wherever space allowed. The Farmgate ramp of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway was closed, and visitors left their vehicles there to walk to the venue.
High-Level Political and Diplomatic Attendance: Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, three chiefs of the Armed Forces, leaders from different SEE PAGE 2 COL 1
political parties, and ambassadors and representatives from 32 countries attended the funeral. Notable dignitaries included Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Pakistan's Parliament Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Bhutan's Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel, Maldives' Special Envoy and Higher Education Minister Ali Haider Ahmed, Nepal's Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, and Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
Ambassadors and High Commissioners from the US, UK, China, India, Pakistan the EU, Russia, Japan, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Libya, the Philippines, Singapore, Palestine, South Korea, Myanmar, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Indonesia, Norway, Brazil, Morocco, Iran, Algeria, Brunei, Thailand, Qatar, Denmark, and Malaysia were also present. BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey and WFP Acting Country Representative Simone Lawson Parchment attended as well.
Tight Security Arrangements: Security was tightened across Dhaka, especially at Evercare Hospital, the National Parliament Building, and Zia Udyan. The Special Security Force (SSF), President Guard Regiment (PGR), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, RAB, and other law enforcement agencies were deployed in large numbers. Barbed wire barricades were erected, and 27 BGB platoons were stationed along Manik Mia Avenue to manage the massive crowd for funeral.
From Home to Graveyard: Khaleda Zia's body was first taken from Evercare Hospital to Tarique Rahman's house at 196 Gulshan Avenue at around 9:17 am in a vehicle wrapped with the national flag. Originally scheduled to be taken to her long-time residence 'Firoza', the motorcade was rerouted to Tarique Rahman's home, where party leaders, activists, relatives, and well-wishers paid respects. Tarique Rahman recited verses from the Holy Quran beside the coffin.
At 11:04 am, the motorcade left Gulshan Avenue, joined by Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, children Zaima, Zahia, and Zafira Rahman, and family members of his late younger brother Arafat Rahman, along with senior BNP leaders. A red-and-green bus accompanied the motorcade to the Parliament ground.
The funeral procession reached the National Parliament Building shortly after 12 noon. Security forces managed the crowd so that people could participate both inside the Parliament ground and Manik Mia Avenue. Special arrangements allowed the public to stand on surrounding roads, ensuring the massive crowd could pay their respects.
The Funeral Prayer and Burial: The funeral prayer was led by Mufti Mohammad Abdul Malek, Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Following the prayer, the coffin was carried on the shoulders of members of Armed Forces to the burial site.
During the burial, Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, children, other family members, BNP leaders and activists, and leaders of various political parties stood in solemn respect. Entry to Zia Udyan was restricted to designated individuals until the burial was completed.
Political Figures and Party Leaders Present: Senior BNP leaders including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Dr. Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud and Khaleda Zia's personal physician Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain attended. Leaders from other political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, Jatiya Nagorik Party Convener (NCP) Nahid Islam, Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque, Mass Solidarity Movement Chief Coordinator Jonayed Saki, and Gana Adhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque were present.
Other notable attendees included Chief Justice Zubair Rahman Chowdhury, Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Rear Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hasan, Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmud Khan and Advisers of the interim government.
