In Bangladesh on Wednesday, the Namaz-e-Janaza of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was held at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sansad Bhawan, where thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to the veteran leader.
The funeral prayers were led by the Khateeb of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, while BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan supervised the proceedings, The Daily Star reported.
Manik Mian Avenue was thronged with mourners since morning, with BNP leaders and party workers coming from Dhaka and districts like Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Ghazipur, Munshiganj and Narayanganj to attend the Namaz-e-Janaza.
Chief advisor to the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, reached the Parliament complex to attend the funeral prayers and pay his last respects.
After the prayers, it was announced that Khaleda Zia would be buried next to her husband, former President Ziaur Rehman, in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
The funeral attracted widespread attention regionally, with several South Asian countries sending their senior representatives to Dhaka to attend the state funeral, The Daily Star reported.
Earlier in the day, the mortal remains of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was brought to her Gulshan residence Firoza, where family members and close relatives gathered before the last rites.
Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus said in a post on Twitter that the body had reached the residence.
BNP acting president Tariq Rehman was present at the residence along with family members and was seen sitting quietly with a prayer book in his hands while paying his last respects.
India has formally confirmed its participation in the funeral. Bangladesh Sangabad Sangastha (BSS) quoted Indian High Commission spokesperson as saying that Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday morning by a special flight, which landed at 11:30 am and was welcomed by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
Following his arrival, Jaishankar met Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting president Tariq Rahman and expressed India’s condolences.
In a post on Twitter, Jaishankar said, “On arrival in Dhaka, I met Mr. Tariq Rahman, acting president of BNP and son of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia.”
He said that he handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tariq Rehman. Jaishankar said, “I handed him a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I expressed my deepest condolences on behalf of the Government of India and the people of India.”
Jaishankar also mentioned the legacy of Khaleda Zia and its importance for bilateral relations. He further said, “I am confident that the vision and values of Begum Khaleda Zia will guide the growth of our partnership.”
Separately, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riyaz Hamidullah said that during his visit, Jaishankar expressed condolences on behalf of the people and government of India as Bangladesh mourns the demise of the former prime minister.
In a post on Twitter, Hamidullah said Jaishankar acknowledged Khaleda Zia’s role in strengthening democracy and expressed optimism about enhancing bilateral ties following Bangladesh’s democratic transition through the upcoming elections in February 2026.
Other regional leaders also reached Dhaka for the last rites. Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq arrived in the capital at around 11:50 am, where he was welcomed by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh and senior officials of Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma and Bhutan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Lyonpo D.N. Dhungyel also reached Dhaka to attend the funeral. Wednesday is a public holiday in Bangladesh and three days of state mourning has begun.
Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister Khaleda Zia died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. An influential figure in national politics, he served three terms as Prime Minister and played a key role in the restoration of democracy after years of military rule.
As funeral preparations continued, BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged mourners to maintain discipline and maintain the dignity of the ceremony, according to The Daily Star.
The government has announced that the last journey of Khaleda Zia is being conducted with full state honors and under tight security arrangements.
Chief Advisor Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said more than 10,000 police and armed police battalion personnel have been deployed, army units have been deployed at key locations and vehicular movement has been restricted on the affected routes.
Condolence messages are continuously coming from global leaders and international organizations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the demise of Khaleda Zia, expressed condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh and recalled his meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015.
Leaders of Pakistan, Nepal and several other countries also paid tribute to Khaleda Zia, while the United Nations, European Union, US, Russia, China and several diplomatic missions acknowledged her contribution to the political and democratic development of Bangladesh.
