The funeral of the former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will be held today afternoon, post Zohr prayers. She will be buried next to her husband Ziaur Rahman at Parliament’s South Plaza and the adjoining Manik Mia Avenue. Zia was 80-year-old and was fighting with illness, she was the longest-ever ruling chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Yunus ruled government announced yesterday that Zia will be buried with full state honours.
Who all are attending Khaleda Zia’s funeral?
It is expected that India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, would be attending Zia’s funeral. Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his sorrow, wrote on X, “I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. I extend my heartfelt condolences to her family and to the people of Bangladesh. May the Almighty grant her family the strength to bear this irreparable loss. As the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, her significant contributions to the country’s development and to the strengthening of India–Bangladesh relations will always be remembered. I recall my warm and cordial meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015. We hope that her vision and legacy will continue to guide and inspire our partnership in the years to come.”
Why are special precautions taken for Zia’s funeral?
As per media report, restriction on traffic has been imposed in several places of Dhaka for the smooth movement of funeral convoy. The inner grounds of Bangladesh Parliament, outside and the complete lane of Manik Mia Avenue has been covered. The burial time is approximately 3:30 pm. Yunus government has announced three days state mourning and a day holiday “At the death of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, I declare three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday tomorrow on the day of her Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayers),” stated interim government chief Muhammad Yunus. Keeping the New Year celebrations in mind, a ban on fireworks, sky lanterns, and open-air cultural programmes has been imposed in Dhaka during the mourning period.
