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Thousands join funeral prayers for Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia, Jaishankar conveys India's condolences
Khaleda was laid to rest beside the grave of her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman. The funeral ceremony was held at the Manik Mia Avenue.
Huge crowds gathered at the area outside Bangladesh's national parliament building in Dhaka on Wednesday to attend the funeral prayers for former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Thousands of people attended the funeral of Khaleda, who was laid to rest beside the grave of her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, according to the Associated Press. The funeral ceremony was held at the Manik Mia Avenue, with several foreign dignitaries, political leaders and representatives expected to be in attendance.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar also arrived in Dhaka to attend the funeral, and conveyed the condolences of the people and government of India.
In a post on X, Bangladesh high commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah said, “HE @DrSJaishankar, Hon. External Affairs Minister, in Dhaka, conveys condolences of the people | Govt of #India as #Bangladesh mourns passing of former Prime Minister #BegumKhaledaZia, recognized her contribution to #democracy and expressed optimism to strengthen ties following democratic transition in Bangladesh thru the upcoming election (Feb 2026).”
The gathering to attend her funeral prayers started at around 7.00 am on Wednesday, and included leaders and activists from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), according to The Daily Star.
Chief Adviser of the interim government in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, also joined the funeral prayers for Khaleda, the first woman prime minister of the country, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Apart from Yunus, Bangladesh Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, advisers of the interim government, senior civil and military officers, and Khaleda's family members and relatives were also in attendance.
People travelled by buses, trucks, trains, private cars and motorcycle to join the sea of mourners in Dhaka. Crowds also spilled into surrounding areas by 2 pm, with large gatherings seen in Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and nearby localities, The Daily Star reported.
Apart from India, other South Asian nations, including Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, also sent top officials to Dhaka to attend the funeral.
