As far as the eye could see, there were people—only people. From the main roads to narrow alleys, there was hardly any space left to stand. Such was the overwhelming turnout at the funeral prayers (janaza) of three-time Prime Minister, uncompromising leader of democratic movements, and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda Zia. The entire capital city turned into a sea of mourners.Participants at the janaza described it as the largest funeral in history. Many said that although the funeral of martyred President Ziaur Rahman had long been considered the largest, that record was surpassed on Wednesday.

The janaza of Khaleda Zia was held on Wednesday (December 31) afternoon at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. Following the prayers, she was laid to rest at Zia Udyan beside the grave of her husband, martyred President Ziaur Rahman.

Elderly Rabiyul Islam, who came from Mirpur Section 2 to attend the janaza, told Banglanews that he had participated in Ziaur Rahman’s funeral. “In my opinion, that had been the largest janaza for many years. But today, all records have been broken. Begum Khaleda Zia’s janaza has set a new record,” he said.

Former General Secretary of the Dhaka Metropolitan Tanti Dal, Dewan Md. Ismail, said, “I believe this is the largest janaza in the world. I have never seen such a massive flow of people in my life.”

Recalling past memories, he added, “I attended Ziaur Rahman’s janaza as a sixth-grade student with my relatives near the Asad Gate area. At that time, the China–Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre area and its surroundings were water bodies, and people gathered there. But today, people filled Bijoy Sarani, Rokeya Sarani, the Parliament area, Manik Mia Avenue, Farmgate, and even Karwan Bazar.”

Calling it a matter of personal fortune, Dewan Md. Ismail said, “I attended the janaza of Ziaur Rahman in my childhood, and today I attended the janaza of his wife. The massive crowd itself proves that this was the largest janaza in the world.”

Although participants made such claims, the exact number of people who attended the janaza could not be confirmed. So far, no institution or authority has released any official figures regarding the turnout.