Khaleda Zia's funeral today; former Bangladesh PM to get state honours

The funeral prayers for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday (December 31), with the interim government finalising arrangements and confirming that she will be laid to rest with full state honours.

The Chief Adviser’s Office stated that the Namaz-e-Janaza will take place after Zuhr prayers, around 2 pm, on Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka.

In a late-night statement issued at 11:46 pm on Tuesday, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing said the coffin will be placed at the west end of Manik Mia Avenue instead of the South Plaza of the Parliament.

Funeral arrangements in Parliament

Arrangements for the funeral will cover the inner grounds of Parliament, its outer premises and the entire stretch of Manik Mia Avenue, bdnews24 reported.

Following the funeral prayers, Zia will be laid to rest with state honours at around 3:30 pm beside her husband, slain president and freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman.

Traffic restrictions in Dhaka

Earlier, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul had said the funeral would be held after Zohr prayers at the Parliament’s South Plaza and the adjoining Manik Mia Avenue, following a special meeting of the interim government’s Advisory Council at the state guest house Jamuna. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended the meeting as a special invitee.

Also Read: Jaishankar to represent India at Khaleda Zia’s funeral in Dhaka

Traffic restrictions will be in place on several roads in Dhaka on Wednesday due to the movement of the convoy carrying Zia’s body, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said.

Zia, the longtime chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), died in Dhaka on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. She was 80.

Jaishankar to attend funeral

Foreign dignitaries, including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, are expected to attend the funeral.

Also Read: Khaleda Zia obituary: Bangladesh’s accidental PM with a lasting legacy

Jaishankar will travel to Dhaka on Wednesday to represent the government and people of India, while Pakistan’s participation was confirmed by a Pakistan High Commission official in Dhaka, according to state-run BSS.

What Yunus said

Earlier, in a televised address to the nation, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday on the day of the funeral prayers.

He urged people to maintain discipline during the observance of mourning. During the period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast across institutions at home and at Bangladesh missions abroad, and special prayers will be organised nationwide.

(With Agncy inputs)