External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday to attend the funeral of Bangladesh’s three-time former Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia, handed over a condolence letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman.
Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, on Wednesday shared pictures of Jaishankar’s meeting with the former Prime Minister’s family on X and wrote, “Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, in Dhaka, conveys the condolences of the people and the Government of India as Bangladesh mourns the passing of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and recognises her contribution to democracy.”
Zia, 80, breathed her last after a prolonged illness at 6:00 am on Tuesday, shortly after the Fajr (dawn) prayer, at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
According to reports, Zia’s funeral prayers will be held today at 2:00 pm local time, following Zohr prayers, at the South Plaza of the National Parliament House and the adjoining Manik Mia Avenue. Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister will later be laid to rest at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, beside the grave of her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman.
A huge crowd is expected to gather to pay their last respects to one of the most prominent figures in Bangladesh’s political history. In view of this, extensive arrangements have been put in place by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
According to reports, scores of leaders from South Asia, including Nepal Foreign Minister Nanda Sharma, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Bhutan Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel, Maldives Education Minister Ali Haider Ahmed, Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and representatives of the governments of Thailand and Malaysia, are expected to attend the funeral of the former Bangladesh Prime Minister.
