Bangladesh, Dec 31, 2025:
Former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was laid to rest with full state honours beside her late husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in the capital on Wednesday afternoon.
The burial followed a series of formal and religious rituals and took place shortly before 5:00 pm, marking a historic moment that drew massive public turnout and high-level foreign participation.
Her namaz-e-janaza was held earlier at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, beginning at 3:02 pm amid strict security measures.
The janaza prayer was led by the khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, while BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan supervised the proceedings.
From early afternoon, thousands of mourners gathered at the parliament complex and surrounding areas, including Manik Mia Avenue, turning nearby roads into seas of people.
Following the janaza, Khaleda Zia’s body, wrapped in the national flag, was taken from the parliament premises to Zia Udyan under heavy security escort.
At around 4:30 pm, the coffin was carried to the gravesite near Ziaur Rahman’s mausoleum, where members of the Army and Navy bore it on their shoulders for the final rites.
Family members, senior BNP leaders, political representatives from different parties, and supporters stood silently to pay their last respects during the burial.
Her eldest son, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, attended the burial along with his wife Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima Rahman, and other close relatives.
After the burial was completed, Tarique Rahman left the site and later returned to his residence in Gulshan.
The state funeral attracted significant regional attention, with several South Asian countries sending senior officials to Dhaka to attend the ceremony.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in the capital on a special flight in the morning, while Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also reached Dhaka later in the day.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma and Bhutan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Lyonpo D N Dhungyel were among other foreign dignitaries present.
Following Khaleda Zia’s death, the BNP announced a seven-day mourning programme, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said at a press briefing.
He stated that party leaders and activists will wear black badges, condolence books will be opened at BNP offices nationwide, and prayer and Quran recitation programmes will be organised.
Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6:00 am on Tuesday at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 80, according to a statement posted on the BNP’s verified social media pages.
A three-time prime minister and one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh’s political history, Khaleda Zia’s passing has brought an era of national politics to a close.
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