A day after her burial, grief and reverence filled Zia Udyan as BNP leaders, activists and ordinary citizens gathered on Thursday to pay their respects to former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
The gates of Zia Udyan were opened to the public after 12:00pm, allowing people to visit her grave.
Long before that, hundreds had gathered outside, waiting patiently under tight security.
Since the completion of her burial on Wednesday evening, the entrance had remained closed to the general public.
As soon as the gates opened, visitors streamed in, offering fateha, placing flowers and wreaths, and standing silently beside the grave of a leader many described as their last hope.
Khaleda Zia now rests beside her husband, late president Ziaur Rahman, following her historic namaz-e-janaza on Wednesday.
Former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar visited the grave in the morning amid heavy security, while BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince offered prayers from behind the security cordon.
Speaking to reporters, Babar said Khaleda Zia had carried forward the ideals of Ziaur Rahman and that BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is following the same path. He urged the nation to pray for her departed soul. “May Allah grant her the highest place in Jannatul Firdaus,” he said.
Throughout the afternoon, people from all walks of life continued to arrive. Students, children, women and elderly supporters stood in quiet lines. Some broke down in tears, others whispered prayers, while many laid flowers with trembling hands.
Asifur Rahman Biplob, a Jubo Dal leader from Old Dhaka, said he felt compelled to come. “She dedicated her life to democracy. Future generations will remember what she stood for,” he said.
Many travelled long distances to be there. Fatema Sharmin came from Munshiganj, while Panchagarh district BNP president Jahirul Islam also visited the grave to pay his respects.
Security at the mausoleum remained tight, with the Army, police and other law enforcement agencies deployed throughout the area.
Khaleda Zia passed away early Tuesday morning at Evercare Hospital at the age of 80. Her namaz-e-janaza was held on Manik Mia Avenue on Wednesday, attended by millions. She was later laid to rest beside her husband with full state honours, closing a chapter in the country’s political history but leaving behind a legacy that continues to draw people in grief, love and remembrance.