BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside her husband, the late President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka, following her namaz-e-janaza at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday afternoon.

Millions of people are flocking to the capital to attend the janaza and pay their respects, while foreign dignitaries from India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and other South Asian countries are scheduled to arrive to participate in the BNP chief’s last rites.

Speaking to reporters after a BNP Standing Committee meeting at the Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Tuesday, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque will lead the janaza prayers.

“We, the Standing Committee, have decided that her janaza will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2:00 pm on the South Plaza of the Parliament House, extending across Manik Mia Avenue,” Fakhrul said. He added that BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan will oversee the proceedings.

Following the janaza, Khaleda Zia will be buried beside Ziaur Rahman, Bangladesh’s proclaimer of independence and pioneer of multi-party democracy, popularly known as ‘Rakhal Raja’.

Fakhrul urged attendees to maintain strict discipline during the janaza and burial, requesting that no one disrupt the ceremony for photographs and emphasising the importance of respecting the solemnity of the occasion. He called on all to pray for Khaleda Zia’s soul, seeking Allah’s mercy and a place for her in Jannah, and to offer prayers for her family—especially her eldest son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman—to find strength in carrying forward their responsibilities.

The government has declared three days of mourning, with Wednesday announced as a public holiday. Fakhrul expressed gratitude for the authorities’ cooperation, noting, “The Prime Adviser has addressed the nation, and we thank the government for their full support.” The BNP has also declared seven days of mourning, during which members will wear black badges, raise black flags, and hold prayers and Quran recitations at party offices nationwide.

Earlier, the BNP Standing Committee convened at the Chairperson’s Gulshan office, chaired by Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Khaleda Zia passed away at Evercare Hospital at 6:00 am on Tuesday after receiving medical treatment for over a month.

Foreign dignitaries attending include Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Jaishankar’s visit, confirmed in a media statement on Tuesday, will mark the first ministerial-level visit from India to Bangladesh since 5 August, the day a student-led mass uprising toppled the previous Awami League government.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on X that Sadiq will represent Pakistan at the funeral, replacing his earlier plan to attend in person.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma will represent the government and people of Nepal. Officials at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Bhutan’s Foreign Minister DN Dhungyel will also attend. Maldives will be represented by the President’s special envoy, Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development Ali Haidar Ahmed.