Khaleda Zia Laid to Rest in Dhaka; Son Tarique Rahman Thanks Nation and International Dignitaries for Final Farewell
Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 1 (ANI): Former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Begum Khaleda Zia was laid to rest beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka on Wednesday, following a state funeral attended by thousands of mourners and dignitaries from home and abroad.
Khaleda Zia was buried after her Namaz-e-Janaza was held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. 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, according to The Daily Star.
From early morning, Manik Mia Avenue witnessed a steady influx of mourners, including BNP leaders, party activists, and supporters who travelled from across Dhaka and districts such as Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj, and Narayanganj to pay their final respects to the veteran leader.
Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus attended the funeral prayers at the Parliament Complex and offered his last respects. On his behalf, Military Secretary Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq placed a wreath at Khaleda Zia’s grave.
Earlier in the day, Khaleda Zia’s body 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 commenced a three-day period of state mourning in her honour.
The funeral drew wide regional and international attention, with several South Asian nations dispatching senior representatives to Dhaka. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the funeral on behalf of India. Leaders and representatives from Pakistan, Nepal, and other countries, along with the United Nations, European Union, United States, Russia, China, and multiple diplomatic missions, paid tribute to Khaleda Zia’s role in Bangladesh’s political and democratic development.
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 following years of military rule.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over her passing, extending condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh, and recalling his meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015.
On Thursday, BNP Acting Chairman and Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, issued a heartfelt message thanking the nation and international community for their support during his mother’s final farewell.
“In yesterday’s moments of deep personal loss, I want to speak from the heart and thank the many individuals whose care and professionalism helped the country conduct itself through my mother’s final farewell,” Rahman said in a post on X.
He expressed gratitude to officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating visits by foreign dignitaries conveying condolences from their respective heads of state, noting that their presence reflected the respect Khaleda Zia commanded beyond Bangladesh’s borders.
Rahman also thanked Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and members of the interim government for attending the funeral and guiding the nation through a day of mourning “with steadiness and care.”
Following the Namaz-e-Janaza, it was formally announced that Khaleda Zia had been laid to rest beside Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, marking the end of an era in Bangladesh’s political history. (ANI)
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