Bangladesh Mourns Khaleda Zia as Tense Funeral Draws Huge Crowds and Heavy Security

Huge crowds gathered in Dhaka to bid farewell to Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, who died the day before. Mourners braved an unexpected cold spell as a flag-draped vehicle carried her coffin to a vast open field in front of Parliament for funeral prayers. The procession took about two hours to reach the roughly 30-acre site where political leaders stood around the coffin while an imam led prayers in Arabic.

Ms. Zia was later buried beside her husband, Ziaur Rahman, the country’s first military leader. The event was marked by a heavy security presence, with more than 10,000 troops deployed to maintain order. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, declared a state funeral and ordered a three-day mourning period.

Ms. Zia’s death comes weeks before a general election scheduled for Feb. 12, a vote that follows a student-led revolution in August 2024 that ousted the government of Sheikh Hasina. The two women were long-time rivals from the country’s dominant political dynasties. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which Ms.

Zia chaired until her death, is widely expected to prevail in the absence of the Awami League, which has been banned from activity since the revolution. Her son, Tarique Rahman, who recently returned after 17 years in exile, is seen as a leading candidate; he posted a video reciting from the Quran and met visiting dignitaries during the funeral period.

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Sports, United States, World, Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia, Bnp, Election