Bangladesh prepares state funeral for former prime minister Khaleda Zia

Bangladesh will bid a final farewell to Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female prime minister and longtime chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), with a state funeral in Dhaka on Wednesday, a day after her death at the age of 80.

The Hindu reported that funeral prayers are scheduled to be held after Zuhr, around 2 pm, on Manik Mia Avenue in the capital, according to officials from the Chief Adviser’s Office. Zia’s coffin will be placed at the western end of the avenue, instead of the South Plaza of the Parliament complex, authorities said.

The government has announced a three-day period of national mourning, with extensive security arrangements expected across Dhaka as political leaders, diplomats and supporters gather to pay their respects. Zia died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness.

Her passing comes at a politically significant moment, as her son Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile. He has since taken a decisive step into active electoral politics by filing nomination papers for the forthcoming general elections from the Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6 constituencies.

After the prayers, Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside her late husband, Ziaur Rahman, the former president and military ruler who was assassinated in 1981.

India will be represented at the funeral by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is travelling to Dhaka on Wednesday. It remains unclear whether his visit will include a separate meeting with the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus.

In a late-night statement issued on Tuesday, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing confirmed the timing and venue of the funeral prayers, noting that arrangements were being finalised in coordination with security agencies and local authorities.

Khaleda Zia served multiple terms as prime minister and remained one of the most influential and polarising figures in Bangladeshi politics for decades, shaping the country’s political landscape alongside her long-time rival, Sheikh Hasina.

With agency inputs