The country has begun a three-day period of state mourning from Wednesday following the death of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

The mourning will continue until Friday. In addition, a public holiday has been declared today, Wednesday, to allow citizens to attend her funeral prayers.

As part of the state mourning protocol, national flags will be flown at half-mast on all government, semi-government, and autonomous institutions, educational establishments, and both government and private buildings across the country, as well as at Bangladesh missions abroad, for the full three days. Observations today in front of the TCB building in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar confirmed the flag at half-mast.

Special prayers will also be held on Friday at mosques across the country for the peace of Khaleda Zia’s soul. Similar prayers will be arranged at other religious institutions.

In line with the public holiday, all government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous, and private offices, including markets in Dhaka, remain closed today.

However, essential services will continue uninterrupted. These include electricity, water, gas, other fuel services, fire and rescue operations, port activities, sanitation, telecommunications, internet, postal services, hospitals, and medical services. Staff and vehicles associated with these services, as well as offices engaged in urgent work, are exempt from the holiday.

Khaleda Zia passed away yesterday morning at 6 a.m. at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 79.