Khaleda Zia's funeral: Jaishankar to attend, ex-Bangladesh PM to be buried beside husband | Key points

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Khaleda Zia died on Tuesday aged 80 after a prolonged illness.

Updated on: Dec 31, 2025, 14:46:59 IST

By HT News Desk

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Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, will be laid to rest today (December 31) beside her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka. The funeral prayer will be held at 2 pm, with various dignitaries, including external affairs minister S Jaishankar, scheduled to attend and pay their final respects.

Khaleda will be buried with state honours at about 3:30 pm beside her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman. (AFP)

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader died on Tuesday aged 80 after a prolonged illness. Global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was also Zia’s rival, mourned her death and hailed her contributions to the country.

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Khaleda Zia’s funeral today: Key points

In a statement released on Tuesday, the press wing of Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus said the funeral prayers for Zia will take place on Wednesday after Zuhr, at around 2 pm, on Manik Mia Avenue.
After the prayers, Khaleda will be buried with state honours at about 3:30 pm beside her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman.
Family members of Khaleda Zia, senior state dignitaries, government officials, foreign guests, ambassadors and BNP-nominated political leaders will attend the funeral, Prothom Alo said in a report.
India will be represented at the funeral by external affairs minister Jaishankar, who will travel to Dhaka on Wednesday, according to an official statement.
Apart from Jaishankar, Pakistan’s National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is also expected to be present, local media reported.
More than 10,000 police and Armed Police Battalion personnel will be deployed, while army troops will be placed at important locations, The Daily Star reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, after Zia’s death, Bangladesh’s interim leader Yunus announced three days of national mourning and a one-day general holiday. The notice said that all government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous and private offices will remain shut on Wednesday.
Condolence books have been kept at BNP offices, including Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan home, the party’s Nayapaltan central office and offices at the district level, where political leaders and well-wishers can write tribute messages for the former prime minister.
Notably, Zia was instrumental in bringing back democracy after years of military rule and served as Bangladesh’s leader for three terms.

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