Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was laid to rest with state honours in Dhaka on Wednesday, with thousands of mourners and several foreign dignitaries attending the funeral ceremony.
The 80-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was buried beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, the parliamentary complex in the Bangladeshi capital. Khaleda Zia served as prime minister three times and remained one of the most influential figures in the country’s political history.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the funeral, marking a significant diplomatic engagement amid strained ties between New Delhi and Dhaka. Before the burial, Jaishankar met Khaleda Zia’s son and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and handed over a condolence letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jaishankar also met Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on the sidelines of the ceremony. A photograph of the interaction was later shared by the official account of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
Khaleda Zia passed away after a prolonged illness on Tuesday, days after Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh following a 17-year stay in London, and just weeks ahead of the country’s scheduled general elections in February.
Braving cold weather, mourners from across Bangladesh gathered in large numbers to offer prayers. The national flag-draped coffin was placed at Manik Mia Avenue for funeral rites, while burial proceedings were conducted in accordance with state protocol, with public access restricted.
Several senior leaders from South Asia attended the funeral, including foreign ministers and special envoys from Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Jaishankar’s visit is seen as part of India’s diplomatic outreach to Bangladesh at a time when bilateral relations have faced challenges following recent political developments and concerns raised by New Delhi over attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh.
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