Dhaka, Dec. 31 -- Millions stood shoulder to shoulder beneath an open winter sky as Bangladesh bid farewell to Khaleda Zia -- a leader whose political life was defined by defiance, endurance and unyielding belief in democracy.

Moments before her funeral prayers, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) pledged to walk the path she had carved through decades of confrontation with authoritarian power.

Just before the Janaza at the South Plaza of parliament, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan read out a detailed account of Khaleda's political life, her battles for democracy, and the persecution she faced under successive authoritarian regimes, from military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad to the governments led by Sheikh Hasina. ...