Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 31 (ANI): Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was laid to rest on Wednesday beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka, according to Daily Star.
Khaleda Zia was laid to rest following her namaz-e-janaza at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday, the report said.
Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus offered condolences to Tarique Rahman.
বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল (বিএনপি)-এর চেয়ারপার্সন, তিনবারের সাবেক প্রধানমন্ত্রী ও গণতান্ত্রিক রাজনীতির শীর্ষ নেত্রী বেগম খালেদা জিয়ার নামাজে জানাজায় উপস্থিত হলে তাঁর শোকাহত জেষ্ঠ্য পুত্র ও বিএনপির ভারপ্রাপ্ত চেয়ারম্যান তারেক রহমানকে সান্ত্বনা জানান প্রধান উপদেষ্টা প্রফেসর… pic.twitter.com/xoul67Dnbk
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) December 31, 2025
On behalf of the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, his Military Secretary, Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq, placed a wreath at the grave of Begum Khaleda Zia on Wednesday.
On behalf of the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, his Military Secretary, Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq, placed a wreath at the grave of Begum Khaleda Zia on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/c0hlgnenBx
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) December 31, 2025
Thousands gathered to pay their final respects to the veteran leader.
According to The Daily Star, the funeral prayer was led by the khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, while BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan oversaw the proceedings.
From early morning, Manik Mia Avenue witnessed a steady influx of mourners, with BNP leaders and party activists arriving from across Dhaka and districts such as Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Narayanganj to attend the Namaz-e-Janaza.
Muhammad Yunus reached the Parliament Complex to join the funeral prayers and offer his last respects.
The funeral drew wide regional attention, with several South Asian nations dispatching senior representatives to Dhaka to attend the state funeral, The Daily Star reported.
Earlier in the day, the body of Khaleda Zia was brought to her Gulshan residence, Firoza, where family members and close relatives gathered ahead of the funeral.
Bangladesh observed a public holiday on Wednesday and has begun a three-day period of state mourning.
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. A towering figure in national politics, she served three terms as prime minister and played a key role in restoring democracy after years of military rule.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over Khaleda Zia’s death, extending condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh, and recalling his meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015.
Tributes were also paid by leaders from Pakistan, Nepal and several other countries, while the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, Russia, China and several diplomatic missions acknowledged Khaleda Zia’s contributions to Bangladesh’s political and democratic development. (ANI)
