The funeral of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been held amid a huge crowd.

Khaleda Zia's funeral procession began at 3:03 pm on Wednesday at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. The funeral procession ended at 3:05 pm.

A large crowd gathered to attend the funeral. Mufti Mohammad Abdul Malek, the Khatib of the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram, led the funeral prayer for Khaleda Zia.

A large crowd has been gathering since morning on Manik Mia Avenue and its surrounding areas to attend the funeral of three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

It was seen on the ground that the funeral procession extended beyond the Parliament Building area. A large number of people participated in the funeral procession on the road from the Parliament Building area to Karwan Bazar in the capital.

Apart from this, a large number of people participated in the funeral procession on the roads of the area from Asad Gate to near Mohammadpur Town Hall, from Agargaon Metro Station to near Shishu Mela (Shyamoli).

Earlier, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman attended the funeral and asked everyone to pray for his mother.

Addressing the large crowd present at the funeral, Tarique Rahman said, "Pray. May Allah grant him paradise."

BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan also spoke at the time.

Khaleda Zia's funeral was attended by Principal Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus, Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Rear Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan and Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmud Khan. Also present were Advisors Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain, Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, Asif Nazrul and Adilur Rahman Khan, poet and thinker Farhad Mazhar, former Electoral Reforms Commission chief Badiul Alam Majumder, Principal Advisor's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury.

Khaleda Zia's own party included Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, Khaleda Zia's personal physician Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, and party leaders and activists.

Also present were Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shafiqur Rahman and Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, National Citizens Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam, Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Haque, Mass Solidarity Movement chief coordinator Jonayed Saki, and People's Rights Council president Nurul Haque, among others.

Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also attended the funeral. He met Tarique Rahman and expressed his condolences.

On the other hand, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka and met Tarique Rahman. At that time, he handed over India's condolence message to Tarique Rahman.

Khaleda Zia's body was taken from Evercare Hospital to Gulshan in a vehicle draped in the Bangladesh flag at around 9:17 am today.

Khaleda Zia's body was supposed to be taken to her long-time residence 'Firoza'. However, the car was taken to Tarique Rahman's house at 196 Gulshan Avenue. Tarique Rahman sat next to his mother's coffin and recited the Holy Quran. There, family members and relatives paid their last respects to her.

At 11:05 am, Khaleda Zia's body was taken from her residence at 196 Gulshan Avenue to the funeral venue, the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building, by her eldest son Tarique Rahman. The convoy also included a red and green bus. Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima Rahman, younger brother Arafat Rahman's wife Koko and other family members went to the funeral venue.

People began to gather at Manik Mia Avenue area since early morning to attend the funeral. Wearing black clothes and badges, people gathered at Khaleda Zia's funeral site holding party flags.