Former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was laid to rest with full state honours at Zia Udyan on Wednesday. She was buried beside the grave of her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman.

The coffin carrying Khaleda Zia reached Zia Udyan around 4:00pm. Her body was first taken down from a freezer van and then transported in another vehicle to the graveyard premises. She was buried at around 4:30pm.

Earlier, her funeral prayers were held at Manik Mia Avenue at 3:00pm, with hundreds of thousands of mourners from across the country joining the janaza. The prayers were led by Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Khatib Mufti Abdul Malek.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, members of the advisory council, the chiefs of the three armed forces, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and leaders and activists of BNP from different levels attended the janaza. Diplomats from 32 missions, including the UK high commissioner and ambassadors from the United States, European Union, Russia, China, Iran and Qatar, were also present at Manik Mia Avenue.

At around 11:48am, Khaleda Zia’s body was brought under tight security to the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Her body was carried in a freezer van draped with the red and green national flag as part of state protocol.

Earlier at about 11:00am, the freezer van carrying her body departed from her son Tarique Rahman’s Gulshan residence for Manik Mia Avenue. Before that, her body had been taken from Evercare Hospital to Gulshan in the morning.

Begum Khaleda Zia died at 6:00am on Tuesday at the age of 80 while undergoing treatment at a hospital. She had long been suffering from multiple complications, including heart disease, lung, liver and kidney ailments, and diabetes.