Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Dhaka on Wednesday to attend funeral prayers for Khaleda ZiaFormer Prime Minister of Bangladesh, who died the previous day at the age of 80 after a long illness. From dawn, crowds from the capital and rural areas converged on Manik Mia Avenue, near the National Parliament, some having traveled all night.
Many participants, in tears, referred to Khaleda Zia as the "mother of the nation." Several kilometers from the main site, entire streets were packed with people, worshippers praying in the open air due to lack of space. Authorities described the turnout as exceptional, a reflection of the former leader's enduring influence.
A national and regional tribute
The ceremony also took on a diplomatic dimension. Official delegations from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan were present, while representatives from 32 countries reportedly attended the funeral. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met with Khaleda Zia's eldest son, Tarique Rahman, to deliver a personal letter from the Indian Prime Minister. Narendra Modi.
Khaleda Zia was buried late in the afternoon with full state honors, alongside her husband, the former president. Ziaur Rahman, assassinated during a military coup in 1981. A military honor guard saluted the funeral procession, while his coffin, draped in the national flag, was transported under high security.
A central figure in Bangladeshi political life for over four decades, Khaleda Zia rose to prominence after her husband's death as leader of the opposition against a military regime, before becoming Prime Minister in 1991 following democratic elections that marked the return of parliament. She led the country three times and remained head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party until her death.
His political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina structured the political life of Bangladesh for years. Hasina, overthrown in 2024 during a popular uprising after fifteen years in power, now lives in exile in India and was sentenced to death in November for crimes against humanity related to these events.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus Bangladesh declared three days of national mourning and made Wednesday a public holiday. Flags were flown at half-mast throughout the country in tribute to the woman who was the first woman to lead the country.
Tarique Rahman, now acting head of his mother's party, appears as the favorite in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for February, in a country still marked by deep political divisions but united, for a day, around the memory of Khaleda Zia.
