Dhaka, Dec 30 (V7N) — The funeral of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday after Zohr prayers at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has said.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday (December 30), Salahuddin Ahmed said that following the funeral prayers, Begum Khaleda Zia may be laid to rest beside the grave of her husband, former President and martyred freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia passed away at 6:00 am on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka (Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un). She was 80 years old at the time of her death.

In a post on the BNP’s verified Facebook page, the party stated:
“BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia passed away at 6 am today, shortly after Fajr prayers. We pray for the eternal peace of her soul and seek prayers from everyone.”

At the time of her passing, her eldest son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, along with other close family members, were present at the hospital.

Begum Khaleda Zia, the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh, served the nation three times and remained a towering figure in the country’s democratic and political history. Her death has plunged the nation into deep mourning.

END/SMA/AJ