Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus will address the nation at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, hours after the death of former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, officials said.
The address will be broadcast simultaneously on Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said. The announcement comes as the country grapples with the political and emotional aftermath of the death of one of its most influential leaders.
Funeral Preparations Underway
The namaz-e-janaza of Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, is likely to be held on Wednesday, according to BBC Bangla. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed confirmed that preparations are underway, with Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka being considered as the venue for the funeral prayers.
Following the janaza, Khaleda Zia may be laid to rest beside her husband, the late president Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan near the parliament complex in the capital, the report said.
Khaleda Zia Dies After Weeks Of Hospitalisation
Khaleda Zia died around 6 a.m. on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, her personal physician Prof. AZM Zahid Hossain confirmed. She had been admitted to the hospital on November 23 for routine medical tests, during which doctors detected a chest infection and decided to keep her under observation.
Her condition worsened on November 27, prompting her transfer to the hospital’s Coronary Care Unit. In the early hours of Tuesday, Prof. Hossain, a member of the medical board overseeing her treatment, had described her condition as “very critical.”
Khaleda Zia had long been battling multiple health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis and kidney problems. Family members, including her son and BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, visited her at the hospital late on Monday night. Despite sustained efforts by teams of local and foreign specialists, her health continued to deteriorate.
