As the nation bid farewell to former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, the capital reverberated under the slow hum of mourners paying their last respects.
As mourners marched towards the namaz-e-janaza of Khaleda Zia, they discussed her legacy. Two friends, Dulal and Sirajul, said that they had “seen it all”, from Ziaur Rahman’s presidency to Khaleda Zia’s death.
“She never abandoned the country,” Sirajul said. “Even when it meant facing imprisonment.”
“She never gave in to pressure,” Dulal concurred. “That is why she is so deeply respected.”
Their reflections set the tone for a day that saw Dhaka, a city defined by chaos, submerge under a heavy silence. There was a sense that a historical chapter had come to an end, a sentiment also shared by many.
Maulvi Abdur Rashid, who had travelled to Dhaka from Madaripur despite his frailties, felt he had a “story to finish.”
Having attended the janaza of Ziaur Rahman decades ago, Rashid saw the same patriotism reflected in Khaleda Zia. “She never sacrificed her morality despite her imprisonment and subsequent torture,” he said.
The Karwan Bazar metro station, nearest to the parliament where her janaza was taking place, became an impromptu sanctuary where hundreds paused to offer prayers.
Mizanur Rahman, who hailed from Cumilla, had come to attend the janaza with his family. “When she had the chance to leave during difficult times, she stayed,” Mizanur said. “She could not abandon her homeland. For the last time, I felt I could not abandon her.”
Residents watched from high-rise apartment balconies and rooftops the movement of this mourning sea.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. People were walking long distances just to be near the venue,” said Shahidul Alam, a resident from Agargaon.
Arafat Hossain, another janaza attendee, said, “I saw a sea of heads stretching as far as the eye could reach. Seeing so many people come together for her farewell was humbling and deeply moving.”
The last rites of Khaleda Zia proved to be more than merely the rituals which accompany the funeral of a political leader. It acted as a final tribute to a leader whose concluding years were oftentimes spent under a process of tragic erasure.
It was an opportunity for the country to acknowledge Khaleda Zia’s undeniable and crucial role in Bangladesh’s history, and who, in life and in death, and unlike many, refused to abandon her the country she had once led.
