In brief
Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh gathered in Dhaka to mourn Khaleda Zia, the country's first female prime minister, who passed away due to a prolonged illness. Flags were flown at half-mast as leaders and citizens honored her legacy at the state funeral, reflecting on her significant contributions to women's education and political resilience.
Hundreds of thousands of people travelled from across Bangladesh to the capital Dhaka on Wednesday to pay their final respects to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Zia, who was the country's first female prime minister, died on Tuesday from a prolonged illness. She was 80.
The mourners held out their hands in prayer and carried flags printed with her photographs as a motorcade carrying Zia's body - including the hearse wrapped with the national flag - drove on streets near the parliament house.
Flags were flown at half-mast and thousands of security officers were deployed.
I have come this far just to say goodbye. I know I won't be able to see her face, but at least I could see the [vehicle] carrying her for the last rites, Setara Sultana, an activist from Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told the BBC.
Sharmina Siraj, a mother of two, called Zia an inspiration, noting that stipends introduced by the former leader to improve women's education made a huge impact on her daughters.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and Bhutan's Foreign Minister Lyonpo DN Dhungyel were among those who attended the funeral.
Zia was be buried next to her husband Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981 while serving as president - an incident that thrust Zia into the political limelight.
In her later years, she suffered from multiple health problems. Despite this, the BNP stated she had intended to run for parliament in February 2026.
The party is eyeing a return to power, and if that happens, her son is expected to become the country's new leader. Rahman had only returned to Bangladesh last week after 17 years in self-imposed exile in London.
The overwhelming number of mourners signifies Zia's impact on the nation and highlights a leader whose legacy will endure.
