Khaleda Zia's funeral prayers today in Dhaka; Jaishankar among foreign dignitaries attending

The funeral prayer of Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday at 2 pm, officials said.

The coffin of former prime minister Zia will be placed at the west end of Manik Mia Avenue instead of the South Plaza of the Parliament, the Chief Advisor’s Office said on Tuesday.

In a statement issued at 11:46 pm on Tuesday, the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing said the funeral prayers for Zia will be held on Wednesday after Zuhr, around 2pm, on Manik Mia Avenue, bdnews24 reported.

The statement said arrangements for the funeral will cover the inner grounds of the Parliament, its outer premises, and the entire stretch of Manik Mia Avenue.

Following the funeral, Khaleda will be laid to rest with state honours at around 3:30pm beside her husband, slain president and freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman.

Traffic will remain restricted on several roads in the capital on Wednesday due to the movement of the convoy carrying the body of Zia, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Zia, the longtime chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a three-time prime minister, died earlier in the day in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 80.

Foreign dignitaries including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend Zia's funeral.

Jaishankar will represent the government and people of India at the funeral, for which he will travel to Dhaka on Wednesday, an official statement said.