Swapan Kumar Singh :

Published: Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was laid to eternal rest with full state honours on Wednesday afternoon.

She was buried at 4:50pm at the Zia Udyan in Dhaka, beside the grave of her husband, martyred president Ziaur Rahman.

Earlier, her namaz-e-janaza was held at the National Parliament Complex and Manik Mia Avenue, where a massive crowd from different parts of the country gathered to pay their final respects. The surrounding roads witnessed an unprecedented turnout of mourners.

Following the janaza, Khaleda Zia’s body, draped in the national flag, was taken to Zia Udyan in a hearse under tight security arrangements by law enforcement agencies. Around 4:30pm, the body was carried in a special vehicle to the mausoleum of President Ziaur Rahman.

Upon arrival near the grave, members of the Bangladesh Army and Navy carried the coffin on their shoulders to the burial site. After the burial, doa and munajat were offered.

Family members, including her elder son Tarique Rahman, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima Rahman, the widow of her younger son late Arafat Rahman Koko—Sharmila Rahman—and granddaughter Zafira Rahman, were present at the burial. Senior BNP leaders and leaders of various political parties also paid tribute, standing in solemn respect.

With her burial with full state honours, a significant chapter in Bangladesh’s political history has come to an end.