Bangladesh, Aug. 21 -- President-elect Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir paid his respects at the graves of BNP founder president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia before heading to Bangabhaban.

He offered Friday prayers at Bailey Road's Staff Quarter Jame Mosque in Dhaka, arriving directly at their resting place in Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar around 2pm.

There, he laid a wreath, stood in silence for a moment and offered prayers.

Over his long political career as the BNP secretary general, Fakhrul had visited this same grave countless times, often leading party leaders, activists and supporters to lay wreaths.

BNP lawmaker Qamruzzaman Ratan and Yunus Ali, assistant private secretary to the president-elect, accompanied him ...