Thousands of people gathered at Manik Mia Avenue and the south plaza of the National Parliament in Dhaka on Wednesday to attend the funeral prayer of Begum Khaleda Zia, the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and former prime minister. The crowd of party leaders, activists, and general citizens continued to grow as the time approached for the funeral, scheduled for 2 p.m. The body of Khaleda Zia arrived at the venue around 11:50 a.m. in a red and green vehicle, accompanied by Tarique Rahman. Strict security measures were in place around the vehicle.

Earlier in the morning, the funeral procession departed from her residence at 196 Gulshan at 11 a.m. Authorities requested that no vehicles use Mirpur Road to reach Manik Mia Avenue to ensure the smooth conduct of the funeral. Supporters had begun gathering in the area since Tuesday night.

Khaleda Zia passed away at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, December 30, at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 80. She had been under treatment there since November 23 due to a critical health condition.