Khaleda Zia to be buried with state honours, bags banned at funeral prayers

Authorities have announced security restrictions for the funeral prayers and burial of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, including a ban on bags at the funeral prayer venue and limited access to the burial ceremony.

In a notice on Tuesday, the Chief Advisor’s Office said mourners attending the funeral prayers would not be allowed to carry bags or heavy belongings.

The funeral prayers are scheduled to take place at 2pm on Wednesday at the Parliament's South Plaza and the adjoining Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka.

Khaleda will be laid to rest with state honours around 3:30pm beside the grave of her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Members of the general public will not be permitted to enter the burial area, as the ceremony will be conducted with full state honours.

Khaleda, who rose to prominence during the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s and became known as an “uncompromising leader”, led the BNP for 41 years. She served five terms as a member of parliament, three terms as prime minister and twice as leader of the opposition.

She was declared dead on Tuesday after undergoing treatment for 40 days at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

Following her death, the interim government declared three days of state mourning and announced a public holiday for Wednesday, the day of her funeral prayers.