The Evercare Hospital area in Bashundhara, the capital, has been quiet for the past ten days since Tuesday morning. Thousands of people gathered in front of the hospital after the news of the death of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Leaders, activists, supporters, and ordinary people - everyone gathered together and the place turned into a place of mourning, silence, and emotion.
The people standing in front of the main gate of the hospital had a deep shadow of grief on their faces. Some stood silently, some wiped their eyes, some raised their hands in prayer. In the crowd, there were sounds of crying, some of sighing—all together, a heavy atmosphere.
As the morning progressed, BNP leaders and activists from different areas of the capital began arriving at the hospital. However, the main language in front of the hospital that day was not party slogans, but mourning. Many leaders and activists were seen hugging each other and crying. Someone was saying, 'This loss cannot be compensated.'
The crowd of ordinary people gathered around the hospital was also noticeable. Many of them are not directly involved in politics. Some have come to see the departure of a long-known political figure, some have come simply to express their condolences. One young man was saying, 'The person we grew up seeing on TV and in newspapers is no more—it was hard to believe it until we saw it with our own eyes.'
As the day progressed, the pressure of people on the hospital premises and adjacent roads increased. Law enforcement officers were seen on alert to manage the crowd.