Thousands Attend Khaleda Zia's Funeral in Dhaka

Thousands Gather in Dhaka for Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's State Funeral

Thousands of people gathered in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, for the state funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, as mourners traveled from across the country to bid farewell to a prominent political figure. Images showed huge crowds lining Manik Mia Avenue, where her coffin, draped in the national flag, was transported in a convoy on Wednesday.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters, along with dignitaries from India and Pakistan, were expected to attend, and authorities mobilized around 10,000 security personnel to maintain order. Khaleda, the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister in this South Asian nation, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79 following a prolonged illness.

Bangladesh declared three days of national mourning, and tributes poured in from world leaders as mourners said their goodbyes to a politician regarded as a symbol of the democratic movement in the country. “A whole nation is mourning,” stated Al Jazeera reporter Tanvir Chowdhury from outside the parliament in Dhaka. “Many people are crying. People came from all over the country to gather here. They said they must come ... to show that she will be missed.”

Mourners described Khaleda Zia as “a remarkable leader for this country,” stating that she “showed the way to democracy.” A grieving woman, Sharmina Siraj, told AFP that Zia was