Metro rail stations across the capital witnessed overflowing crowds on Wednesday as people rushed to attend the namaz-e-janaza of former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Passengers were seen gathering in large numbers at various stations, prompting heightened vigilance by the MRT Police to ensure security and maintain order.
The namaz-e-janaza of the uncompromising BNP leader is scheduled to be held at 2pm at the South Plaza of the National Parliament building, while a massive crowd has already gathered at Manik Mia Avenue ahead of the funeral.
People are arriving from different parts of Dhaka and other districts, leading to increased pressure on the metro rail system. Compared to regular days, additional police have been deployed at key stations, including Secretariat, Shahbagh, Farmgate and Bijoy Sarani. Passengers are being searched at station entry points and overall security has been tightened.
Despite the heavy turnout, passengers heading to the funeral were seen boarding metro trains in an orderly manner after purchasing tickets. However, long queues at ticket counters and punching gates caused congestion at several stations.
MRT Police DIG Siddiki Tanjilur Rahman said passenger turnout at metro stations increased significantly centring on Begum Zia’s funeral. He said additional MRT Police have been deployed from 9am until the afternoon to manage the situation.
He added that enhanced security measures have been taken at important stations, including Bijoy Sarani, under the supervision of senior officers, and although temporary crowding occurred due to ticketing and punching procedures, the overall situation remained under control.
Former three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia died at 6am on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital.
Khaleda Zia was born on 15 August 1945 and was Bangladesh’s first female prime minister as well as the second female prime minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto.
