The body of BNP Chairperson and the country’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has been taken from Evercare Hospital to Gulshan in Dhaka.
A mortuary van draped with the national flag, carrying the body of Khaleda Zia, left Evercare Hospital around 9am, with law enforcement personnel deployed along both sides of the road from the hospital to her residence.
Although her body was initially scheduled to be taken to her Gulshan residence, Firoza, it was later taken to her son Tarique Rahman’s residence at house number 196 on Gulshan Avenue. Family members, relatives, and party leaders and activists will pay their last respects to her there.
At the time, members of law enforcement agencies surrounded the vehicle carrying the body, wrapped in the red and green national flag, amid tight security.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman recited from the Holy Quran at his Gulshan residence and prayed for his mother, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, shortly after her body arrived there on Wednesday morning.
Sitting alone next to his mother’s coffin inside the residence, Tarique Rahman appeared deeply grief-stricken as he prayed for his mother.
Earlier, in a statement on Tuesday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said the vehicle carrying Khaleda Zia’s body would leave Evercare Hospital and travel via the 36 July Expressway, Kuril Flyover, and in front of the Navy Headquarters to reach the Gulshan residence.
From there, it would proceed through Gulshan-2, Kamal Ataturk Avenue, and Airport Road, use the Mohakhali Flyover, pass Jahangir Gate and Bijoy Sarani, cross the Aircraft Crossing, turn left, and head to the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The vehicle would enter through Gate number 6 and reach the South Plaza.
According to the pre-announced schedule, Khaleda Zia’s namaz-e-janaza will be held after Zuhr prayers around 2pm on Wednesday. The funeral prayer will be led by Mufti Muhammad Abdul Malek, Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
She will later be buried with state honours beside the grave of late President Ziaur Rahman at Chandrima Udyan on the north side of the Parliament at 3:30pm.
Khaleda Zia died around 6 am on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. She was 80. She had long been suffering from various health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney complications.
