Dhaka: The funeral prayers of Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia have been offered on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 pm local time.
Thousands of people attended the funeral and gathered outside parliament. Many waved national flags and banners of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Flags stayed at half-mast as thousands of security personnel lined the route in Dhaka. Her body was taken through the capital in a vehicle draped in national colours.
Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside her husband Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981 while serving as president.
Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin was also present along with head of the interim government Mohammad Yunus to attend the funeral prayers.
Pakistan was represented by Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. He expressed condolences on behalf of the Pakistani leadership on the death of Khaleda Zia.
Ayaz Sadiq went to Khaleda Zia’s residence and met with the family. He expressed his condolences to his son Tariq Rehman and daughter.
The Speaker said, the government and people of Pakistan are with you in this hour of grief.
Khaleda Zia’s children thanked him for the condolences and participation.
The Speaker of the National Assembly met with Bangladesh’s National Security Advisor Khalilur Rehman.
He conveyed the condolence message of the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Ayaz Sadiq also met with Bangladesh’s Legal Advisor Asif Nazral and matters of mutual interest were discussed in the meeting.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Bangladesh following the death of Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda Zia played an important role in Bangladeshi politics for a long time.
