'Deepest condolences': EAM attends Khaleda Zia's funeral; hands PM Modi’s letter to son Tarique
India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Modi's condolences to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in Dhaka following the passing of former PM Begum Khaleda Zia. Jaishankar highlighted Zia's significant influence on India-Bangladesh ties and expressed optimism for future partnership development. India is officially participating in the funeral rites.
EAM Jaishankar meets BNP’s Tarique Rahman in Dhaka; hands PM Modi’s condolence letter (Picture credit: X/@DrSJaishankar)
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman during a meeting in Dhaka, as he conveyed India’s deepest condolences on the death of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
The meeting took place shortly after Jaishankar arrived in the Bangladeshi capital to represent India at the funeral of the veteran leader.
Jaishankar To Attend Khaleda Zia's Funeral In Dhaka Amid Strained India-Bangladesh Ties
In a post on X, Jaishankar said he met Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of Khaleda Zia, soon after landing in Dhaka and handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Handed over to him a personal letter from Prime Minister @narendramodi. Conveyed deepest condolences on behalf of the Government and people of India,” he wrote, as per ANI.
Jaishankar also underlined Khaleda Zia’s long-term influence on ties between the two countries. “Expressed confidence that Begum Khaleda Zia’s vision and values will guide the development of our partnership,” he added in the same post.Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, said Jaishankar conveyed the condolences of the Indian people and government as Bangladesh mourns the loss of the former prime minister.
In a post on X, Hamidullah said Jaishankar recognised Khaleda Zia’s contribution to democracy and expressed optimism about strengthening bilateral relations following Bangladesh’s democratic transition, with national elections scheduled for February 2026.Also read: Jalpaiguri mourns its daughter Khaleda Zia; Bangladesh's first woman PM was born in West Bengal townKhaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. A dominant figure in Bangladeshi politics for decades, she served three terms as prime minister and played a key role in restoring democracy after years of military rule.Her body was earlier brought to her Gulshan residence, Firoza, where family members and close relatives gathered to pay their last respects ahead of the funeral prayers. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman was present at the residence, seated quietly with a prayer book in his hands, according to ANI.The Namaz-e-Janaza for the former prime minister is scheduled to be held at 2 pm (local time) at Manik Mia Avenue, in the South Plaza of Bangladesh’s National Parliament Building.