Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia passed away on Tuesday, December 30, at 6 a.m. Her funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the South Plaza of the National Parliament on Manik Mia Avenue. Thousands of people from across Dhaka have gathered at the venue to attend her janaza, paying their final respects to the veteran leader.

At the site, recordings of Khaleda Zia’s 2013 speech, delivered outside her Gulshan residence ‘Firoza’ when she was blockaded by sand trucks, are being played repeatedly. In that address, she criticized Sheikh Hasina and spoke against foreign dominance over Bangladesh, urging unity and resistance to oppression. She referenced the grief of families affected by the BDR mutiny and the Shapla Chattar incident, emphasizing that such suffering would not be forgotten.

The replay of her old speech at her funeral underscores her image as a leader uncompromising on national sovereignty and justice, resonating deeply with supporters gathered to honor her memory.