BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today laid her mother Begum Khaleda Zia to her eternal rest in grave in his own hands at Zia Udyan in the capital.
Rahman descended to the grave, dug for Begum Zia, and received the body with open arms while her coffin was carried to the site by soldiers drawn from different armed forces as part of the state honour.
Begum Zia was buried beside the grave of her late husband Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman at around 4:30.
Rahman with the help close relatives laid the body in the grave and came up as it was being filled with soil when he also grasped a fist of soil and threw it to the grave to fill it up as –art of the procedure.
Subsequently army, navy and air force chiefs and others present also took part in the burial process.
Tarique Rahman’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, his deceased younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko’s wife Sharmila Rahman, Tarique Rahman’s daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman, and Koko’s daughters Zafia Rahman and Zahia Rahman and other female members of the family stood in solemn silence nearby as the burial process was underway.
Soldiers paid a gun salute as part of the state funeral as the grave was filled with soil.
On behalf of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, his military secretary and on behalf of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, his military secretary then placed wreaths on the grave after the filling up of the grave.
Military, navy and air force chiefs then emerged before the grave and saluted the deceased leader when army bugles played the Last Post.
Rahman accompanied by two military personnel also placed wreaths as part of the state funeral.
As the state ritual ended a special prayer was offered by everyone at the scene seeking eternal blessings for the departed soul.
The burial came more than an hour after Begum Zia’s Namaz-e-Janaza as a national flag draped funeral van escorted by soldiers slowly proceeded toward the Zia Udyan.
Earlier in the afternoon Begum Zia drew millions of people to her janaza at the Manik Mia Avenue where her family, the chief adviser, the chief justice, advisory council members, senior politicians, senior civil and military officers, civil society figures also joined.
High profile foreign dignitaries from different countries flew to Dhaka to pay their respect to the deceased leader while they met Tarique Rahman to exress their condolences.
