Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh on December 31 held the Namaz-e-Janaza of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka as thousands gathered to pay their final respects to the veteran leader. The funeral prayer was led by the khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, while BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan oversaw the proceedings.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on December 31 on a special flight that landed at 11:30 am. He was received by the Indian High Commissioner, a spokesperson for the Indian High Commission said. After his arrival, Jaishankar met Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and conveyed India’s condolences. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “On arrival in Dhaka, met with Tarique Rahman @trahmanbnp, Acting Chairman of BNP and son of former PM of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia.”He said he handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tarique Rahman.
From early morning, Manik Mia Avenue witnessed a steady influx of mourners, with BNP leaders and party activists arriving from across districts such as Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Narayanganj to attend the Namaz-e-Janaza. Chief Adviser of the interim Government Muhammad Yunus reached the Parliament Complex to join the funeral prayers and offer his last respects.
Following the Namaz-e-Janaza, it was announced that Khaleda Zia would be buried beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.The funeral drew wide regional attention, with multiple South Asian nations dispatching senior representatives to Dhaka to attend the state funeral, The Daily Star reported.