Khaleda Zia laid to rest as thousands of mourners bid emotional farewell to BNP leader
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Dhaka (PTI): Hundreds of thousands of people on Wednesday bid an emotional farewell to former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, who was laid to rest with state honour beside her husband Ziaur Rahman's grave near the parliament building amid tight security.
Zia, the three-time prime minister and a towering political figure, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, several senior leaders from Pakistan, Nepal and other neighbouring countries, diplomats and top political and military brass of Bangladesh attended Zia's funeral at Manik Mia Avenue of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (parliament building).
Zia's coffin, draped in the national flag, was brought to the funeral site in a convoy from her residence. Thousands of mourners gathered outside the parliament complex to have a last glimpse of their beloved leader.
Many Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters were seen carrying flags featuring Zia's photographs.
Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, and Zia's son and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman were among those joining the funeral prayers.
"Please pray to Allah seeking her place in heaven," Zia’s elder son, Rahman, told the crowd ahead of the prayers.
Baitul Mokarram National Mosque's chief cleric Mohammad Abdul Kader led the funeral prayers (namaz-e-janaza). BNP's Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan read out a brief biography of Zia.
Mourners from all walks of life offered prayers seeking forgiveness for the departed soul, as they burst into tears, being emotional with the passing of their beloved leader.
After the funeral prayers, Zia was laid to rest beside her husband's grave with state honour. A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force presented a state salute with three gunshots in honour of Zia.
On behalf of the President and the Chief Adviser, floral wreaths were placed at Zia's grave. Later, Rahman and the chiefs of the three services placed wreaths at her grave.
The representatives from 33 countries, including ambassadors, high commissioners and heads of international organisations stationed in Dhaka also attended Zia's funeral prayers, local media reported.
Bhutan's Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister Lyonpo DN Dhungyel joined the funeral, while the Maldives was represented by its Higher Education and Labour Minister Ali Haidar Ahmed.
In a televised address to the nation, Chief Adviser Yunus on Tuesday announced a three-day state mourning and a one-day general holiday.
Zia had been suffering from multiple complex and chronic health conditions, including liver and kidney complications, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and infection-related problems.
She last appeared in public on November 21 when she joined the Armed Forces Day reception at Dhaka Cantonment. Two days later, she was admitted to Evercare Hospital for routine tests, during which doctors detected a chest infection and decided to keep her under observation.
Her political journey, spanning over four decades, was one of tremendous highs and lows: from leading a major party and governing the country to being convicted on corruption charges and later receiving a presidential pardon.
Her appearance as a public figure in the political arena at the age of 35 was not a planned debut; rather, she was thrust into politics after the 1981 assassination of her husband, a military ruler turned politician who founded BNP in 1978.
In 1991, BNP won the elections, and Zia became the first woman prime minister in Bangladesh and second in the Muslim world after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
