Hundreds of Thousands Join Khaleda Zia State Funeral Bangladesh 2025

10,000 security personnel lined the streets of Dhaka as Bangladesh bid a final farewell to its first female Prime Minister. Khaleda Zia, a towering figure in South Asian politics, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79. According to Reuters, vast crowds gathered on Manik Mia Avenue today, December 31, 2025, to witness the convoy carrying her flag-draped coffin to the national parliament building.

Khaleda Zia State Funeral Bangladesh 2025: Regional Impact

The state funeral drew high-level dignitaries from across the region, reflecting Zia's diplomatic weight. India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attended the ceremony, marking a significant visit since the recent political upheaval in the country. Representatives from Pakistan were also present among the hundreds of thousands of mourners. Zia, who first took office in 1991, is remembered by many as a symbol of the nation's democratic struggle and a champion for girls' education.

The funeral also served as a political staging ground for her son, Tarique Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh on Thursday after 17 years in self-imposed exile. As the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Rahman is widely expected to be a primary contender in the upcoming February elections. Zia will be interred alongside her late husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, in a park outside the parliament building.