Bangladesh mourns Khaleda Zia at state funeral as nation pays final respects | The Express Stand

Bangladesh will bid farewell to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Wednesday at a state funeral that draws large crowds mourning a towering leader whose career defined politics for decades.

Zia, the first woman to become prime minister in the South Asian country of 170 million inhabitants, died on Tuesday at the age of 80.

Flags flew at half-mast and thousands of security officers lined the streets as her body was carried through the streets of the capital Dhaka in a vehicle painted the colors of the national flag.

Supporters of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia carry a wreath to mourn her death as they gather for the funeral ceremony in Dhaka on December 31, 2025. Photo: AFP

Retired government official Minhaz Uddin, 70, said he never voted for her but came to honor the three-time prime minister. “I came here with my grandson just to say goodbye to a veteran politician whose contributions will always be remembered,” he said, watching from behind a barbed wire fence as her body passed by.

“Khaleda Zia has been an inspiration,” mourner Sharmina Siraj told AFP, adding that “it is difficult to imagine women in leadership positions anytime soon.” The 40-year-old mother of two said the grants Zia introduced to support girls’ education had “had a huge impact on the lives of our girls”.

Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia had vowed to campaign in the elections due to take place on February 12 – the first round of voting since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina last year.

People gather to attend the funeral prayer for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 31. Photo: Reuters

Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely seen as a front-runner, and her son Tarique Rahman, 60, who only returned last week after 17 years in exile, is seen as a potential prime minister if they win a majority.

Read: Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia dies at the age of 80

“She is gone, but her legacy lives on – and so does the BNP,” said 37-year-old Jenny Parvez, who traveled several hours with her family to watch the funeral procession pass her on the street.

The interim government, led by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, declared three days of national mourning and an elaborate state funeral.

Large crowds gathered outside parliament – many waving national or BNP flags – where her coffin is expected around 2pm and when prayers will begin.

Yunus said Bangladesh “has lost a great guard”.

Zia’s body will be buried next to her late husband, Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981 during his time as president.

Tarique Rahman said in a statement that “the country mourns the loss of a leading presence who shaped its democratic aspirations.” His mother, he added, “suffered repeated arrests, denial of medical care and brutal persecution,” but that “her resilience… was unbreakable.”

Supporters and mourners of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia arrive to participate in the funeral ceremony in Dhaka on December 31, 2025. Photo: AFP

Suffering from a series of health problems, Zia was rushed to hospital in late November, where her condition had gradually deteriorated despite treatment.

Nevertheless, hours before her death, party workers had filed nomination papers on her behalf for three constituencies for next year’s elections on Monday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he hoped Zia’s “vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership,” a warm message despite strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka since Hasina’s fall.

Read more: Opposition leader Tarique Rahman from Bangladesh returns from exile after seventeen years

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will attend the funeral, New Delhi said, the highest-level visit by an Indian official since Hasina’s overthrow.

Senior officials from Pakistan are also expected to attend.

Hasina, 78, sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity, remains in hiding in her old ally India.

Zia was convicted in 2018 of corruption under Hasina’s government, which also prevented her from traveling abroad for medical treatment. Zia was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power.

“I pray for the eternal peace and forgiveness of the soul of Begum Khaleda Zia,” Hasina said in a statement shared on social media by her now banned Awami League party.