Dhaka, Dec 31 (UNI) Dhaka's Manik Mia Avenue has witnessed an unprecedented gathering since early Wednesday morning as mourners from across the country converged to attend the funeral of Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's former prime minister.
The first arrivals began assembling around 7 am, with leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) streaming in from city as well as from districts including Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Narayanganj, where the party is strong.
Supporters, party workers and well-wishers gathered in solemn silence to pay their final respects to a leader who was part and parcel of Bangladesh's politics for more than three decades.
Begum Khaleda Zia, a polarising yet towering presence in the country's turbulent political landscape, passed away on Tuesday morning after a prolonged illness.
Born in 1945 in Jalpaiguri, in present-day West Bengal, Begum Zia had turned 80 last August. She is survived by her sons, including Tareque Rahman, who returned from self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom on Christmas Day earlier this month.
His return coincided with preparations for the February 2026 national elections and allowed him to remain at his mother's bedside as she battled serious infections affecting her heart and lungs.
Following the funeral service at Manik Mia Avenue, Begum Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside her husband, the late Gen Ziaur Rahman, a founding figure of the BNP and a former head of state.
The significance of the moment has drawn international attention as well. India's Ministry of External Affairs announced that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the funeral on Wednesday.
It is an uncommon gesture for India to be represented by a cabinet minister at the funeral of a former prime minister, underscoring both Bangladesh's strategic importance and Begum Khaleda Zia's stature in regional politics. UNI XC JRC