The body of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia has been kept at Manik Mia Avenue where her namaz-e-janaza will be held at 2pm, with thousands of people in attendance.
Around 11:50am, a freezer-van wrapped in the red-and-green national flag, carrying the BNP chief’s body arrived at the avenue from the Gulshan Avenue residence of her elder son Tarique Rahman.
The freezer-van left Tarique’s residence amid tight security around 11:02am.
A multi-layer security has been taken in and around the Manik Mia Avenue to maintain the law and order as thousands of people have already thronged there.
Members of the army, police, RAB, BGB and other law-enforcement agencies have remained deployed.
After the janaza, she will be laid to rest beside the grave of her husband, late President Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
A grave has already been prepared next to Ziaur Rahman’s tomb.
Dhaka stands still as Khaleda’s coffin being taken to Manik Mia Avenue
Despite the biting winter cold, people from different parts of the country have been arriving in the capital since early morning to attend the janaza and pay tribute.
Crowds were also seen overnight at the National Parliament area, Evercare Hospital, the Gulshan office and Firoza.
Several foreign dignitaries, including representatives from India, Pakistan and other South and Southeast Asian countries, are expected to attend the funeral prayers.
Khaleda Zia, a three-time Prime Minister, passed away at Evercare Hospital at around 6:00am on Tuesday (December 30) after receiving treatment for more than a month.