A huge gathering of people filled Manik Mia Avenue today to pay their final respects to former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
The gathering to attend her namaz-e-janaza began around 7:00am, with BNP leaders and activists arriving from different parts of Dhaka and other districts, including Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Narayanganj, to pay their final respects.
From early morning, people from all walks of life continued to pour in in large numbers, travelling by bus, truck, train, private car and motorcycle, turning the surrounding areas into a vast sea of mourners.
The janaza is scheduled to be held at 2:00pm today, with preparations at the venue already in full swing.
South Asian nations including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, sent top officials to Dhaka to attend the funeral, marking a moment of high-level regional engagement in Bangladesh.
Security has been significantly tightened in and around Manik Mia Avenue. A large number of law enforcement personnel, including police and members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN), have been deployed.
Barricades have been set up at key points to maintain order and ensure public safety.
As part of the heightened security measures, access to the grave of Khaleda Zia's late husband and former president Ziaur Rahman has been restricted, with members of the public barred from approaching the area.
The government has announced that Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside her husband with full state honours.
Crowds continued to swell around Manik Mia Avenue as people arrived in groups, with nearby areas, including Tejgaon Lane connecting to the Elevated Expressway, also seeing a significant influx of mourners.
Microphones have been installed across the venue and surrounding areas, where recitations from the Holy Quran are ongoing.
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