Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia laid to rest in Dhaka

DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Former Bangladeshi prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia was laid to rest on Wednesday following funeral prayers attended by hundreds of thousands in the capital, marking the end of a political era that shaped Bangladesh for more than three decades.

Khaleda Zia’s funeral prayer was held at Manik Mia Avenue, adjacent to Bangladesh’s Parliament complex, beginning at 3:03 pm local time (Dhaka time) and concluding two minutes later.

Large crowds filled surrounding roads as mourners gathered to pay their final respects to the longtime leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Foreign dignitaries from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and other South and Southeast Asian countries were also present to pay their final respects.

She was buried with full state honors shortly before 5:00 pm local time, beside the grave of her late husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan, a burial ground reserved for prominent national figures. Her body was transported from the Parliament complex in a flag-draped hearse under heavy security.

At around 4:30 pm local time, the coffin was taken to the gravesite, where members of the Bangladesh Army and Navy carried it on their shoulders during the burial rites. Family members, including her eldest son Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Zaima Rahman, and other close relatives, stood alongside senior BNP leaders and representatives of multiple political parties.

Khaleda Zia served three terms as prime minister and was Bangladesh’s first woman to hold the office. She dominated national politics from the 1990s onward, often locked in a bitter rivalry with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that defined Bangladesh’s post-military democratic period.

In recent years, Khaleda Zia had been largely absent from active politics due to prolonged illness and legal battles. She was imprisoned in 2018 on corruption charges that her party described as politically motivated and was freed in August 2024 following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.

Her death has drawn condolences from political leaders across South Asia and beyond, with supporters hailing her as a central figure in Bangladesh’s democratic struggle.

Wednesday’s funeral underscored her enduring influence, as massive crowds converged on central Dhaka, briefly bringing parts of the city to a standstill and closing a significant chapter in Bangladesh’s modern political history.