Silence falls over ‘Firoza’

Staff Reporter :

Once filled with the routines of state leadership and family life, the house on Shaheed Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment now stands wrapped in silence. It was the home of the country’s first Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, and previously home to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman during his tenure as Army Chief and later as President.

Following his assassination, the house became Khaleda Zia’s only address for many years.
That chapter came to an abrupt end after the political upheaval of 1/11 and the subsequent assumption of power by the Awami League. Khaleda Zia was evicted from the Cantonment residence, and from then on, ‘Firoza’ in Gulshan became her home. In 2018, it was from this very house that Khaleda Zia set out for the Old Dhaka court to hear the verdict in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission a judgment that ultimately sent her to prison. Years later, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to ‘Firoza’ from the hospital after receiving a conditional temporary release granted by the government.

Even today, security personnel remain stationed at the house, and the sentry posts stand unchanged. Yet the once-vibrant residence is now enveloped in an Echoing the same grief, a member of the Chairperson’s Security Force (CSF) shared, “I once stood guard for Madam. Now that she is gone, the house feels unbearably empty. Every step inside is met with an eerie silence and an aching void. Words fail to express this sorrow. I only pray that Allah grants her peace in the hereafter.”

Next to ‘Firoza’ stands House No. 196, which was allotted to Ziaur Rahman’s family in 1981 by then Acting President Justice Abdus Sattar. A few months ago, Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Public Works under the interim government, formally handed over the original ownership documents of the house to Khaleda Zia. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has since moved into the residence.

The surroundings of his home reflect the same subdued mood. Located within the Gulshan Avenue diplomatic zone, the area remains under tight restrictions, preventing large public gatherings.

Stricken by the loss of his mother, Tarique Rahman spent Thursday engaged in prayer and recitation of the Holy Quran. BNP Media Cell member Atiqur Rahman Rumon said the Acting Chairman devoted the day to seeking eternal peace for his mother’s soul. As relatives arrived to offer condolences, Tarique Rahman recalled personal memories of his mother, often becoming emotional. At around 4:30 pm, he departed for the party chairperson’s office in Gulshan to attend official responsibilities.

At the Gulshan office, the black flag flies alongside the BNP flag and the national flag, both lowered to half-mast. A condolence register has been opened, drawing visits from foreign diplomats and political figures. On Thursday, those who paid their respects included Social Welfare Adviser Sharmin S. Murshid, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Tracy Ann Jacobson, Iranian Ambassador Mansour Chavoshi, Peer of Sarsina Darbar Sharif Maulana Mufti Shah Abu Naser Neshar Uddin Ahmed, and Jatiya Party Secretary General Shamim Haider Patwary.

The namaz-e-janaza of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was held on Wednesday at around 3:00 pm, led by Mufti Abdul Malek, Imam of the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram. Later, at approximately 4:45 pm, she was laid to rest with full state honours beside the grave of her husband, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, at the Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka.

Begum Khaleda Zia passed away on Tuesday (December 30) at 6:00 am while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.