Three days of national mourning declared over Khaleda Zia’s death, Wednesday announced as a holiday

The Interim Government of Bangladesh has declared three days of state mourning following the death of former Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia. In addition, a general holiday has been announced for Wednesday, 31 December. This was confirmed today (Tuesday, 30 December) at a press briefing at the Secretariat by Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid.

According to Sheikh Abdur Rashid, state mourning will be observed from 31 December to 2 January. During this period, flags will be flown at half-mast, and official ceremonies will reflect national grief. The proposal for mourning was formally approved at a meeting of the Advisory Council.

Begum Khaleda Zia’s funeral prayers (Janaza) will be held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. Following the Janaza, she will be interred with full state honours beside the grave of her late husband, President Ziaur Rahman, the founding leader of the BNP.

Khaleda Zia passed away early on Tuesday at 6:00 am while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Her personal physician and BNP National Standing Committee member, Professor Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain, confirmed her death. She was 80 years old.

Family members present at the hospital included her eldest son and acting BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, daughter-in-law Dr Zubaida Rahman, granddaughter Zaima Rahman, younger son’s wife Sharmili Rahman Sithi, younger brother Shamim Eskandar, his wife, and elder sister Selina Islam. Senior party leaders, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and members of the medical board overseeing her care were also in attendance.

Begum Khaleda Zia had been battling multiple chronic ailments for several years, including severe kidney complications, liver disease, abnormal haemoglobin levels, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other age-related health conditions.

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Begum Khaleda Zia’s death marks the end of a significant chapter in Bangladesh’s political history, with both her contributions and controversies continuing to shape the nation’s discourse. Her state funeral reflects her prominence as a political leader and former head of government.