Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia’s burial site opened to the public

The burial site of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia has been opened to the public.

The site, located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital, was made accessible to visitors this afternoon. Since morning, large numbers of people, including party leaders and activists, gathered in the area to pay their respects to Begum Khaleda Zia.

As the park had remained closed for renovation, many mourners waited at barricades near the Bijoy Sarani intersection. Unable to enter the burial ground, several people offered prayers from the roadside.

Earlier in the day, former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar visited the site and paid tribute to Begum Khaleda Zia. He offered munajat at the graves of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia.

Speaking to the media, Babar said Khaleda Zia was uncompromising in ensuring the safety of people and their property. “Whatever I asked for, she granted,” he said, adding that the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was never used for political purposes during her tenure. “Not even for a day or an hour—no one can make such a claim or provide proof,” he asserted.

Babar further said that Khaleda Zia did not hesitate to take action even against BNP activists if they committed injustice. “I worked very closely with the leader and witnessed her patriotism. She never compromised on the issues of independence and sovereignty,” he added.

The park entrance had previously been restricted due to renovation work but has now been reopened. In addition to police, members of other law-enforcement agencies have been deployed to ensure security throughout the park.

Begum Khaleda Zia’s namaz-e-janaza was held yesterday at around 3:00pm, led by Baitul Mukarram National Mosque’s imam Mufti Abdul Malek. She was later laid to rest with full state honours at around 4:45pm beside her husband, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Begum Khaleda Zia passed away on Tuesday, December 30, at 6:00am while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.