Namaz-e-janaza at 2:00 pm today (December 31) at Parliament's South Plaza after Zohr prayers; burial follows at Zia Uddyan with full state honours beside Ziaur Rahman.
Three-day state mourning declared, today as general holiday; massive preparations for crowd, security and international dignitaries including India's EAM Jaishankar.
Zia, first female PM and BNP chief, died at 79–80 after long illness; global leaders remember her as a pivotal democratic figure in Bangladesh's history.
Bangladesh bids a final farewell today to its first female Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, as her namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayer) is scheduled for 2:00 pm at the South Plaza of the National Parliament House and adjacent Manik Mia Avenue. The ceremony follows three days of state mourning declared by the interim government after her death yesterday at age 79–80 (reports vary slightly) following a prolonged battle with multiple illnesses including advanced liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, heart, lung and kidney complications.
Zia, longtime chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a three-time premier, passed away at around 6:00 am on December 30 at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, shortly after Fajr prayer. Her body was kept at the hospital before being moved to her Gulshan residence 'Firoza' this morning, with large crowds gathering in mourning. The burial, with full state honours, will take place shortly after the prayers at Zia Uddyan beside her late husband, assassinated former President Ziaur Rahman.
The interim government under Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has declared today a general holiday and ensured extensive security arrangements across the capital, including designated routes, parking zones and crowd management protocols. Dignitaries from across the world are attending, including India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and representatives from China, the US and other nations. Global leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, have paid glowing tributes, remembering Zia as a key figure in Bangladesh's democratic journey, her contributions to national development, and her role in regional relations despite her fierce rivalry with exiled former PM Sheikh Hasina.
The death of the "battling begum" closes a defining chapter in Bangladesh's turbulent politics, where she and Hasina alternated power for decades. Zia's supporters hail her as the "Mother of Democracy" for her resilience through imprisonment, health struggles and political persecution, while her legacy remains divisive. As thousands converge on Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, the nation pauses in grief and reflection.
