Following the death of Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia earlier today, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is set to attend the late leader’s funeral in Dhaka tomorrow.
Jaishankar’s visit to Dhaka comes in the backdrop of strained ties between the Asian neighbours that started with the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and became more tense with recent killings of Hindus in Bangladesh.
MEA’s statement
Confirming the nature of Jaishankar’s visit to Bangladesh, the Ministry of External Affairs released a statement on Tuesday.
“The External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar will represent the Government and people of India at the funeral of Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He will accordingly visit Dhaka on 31 December 2025,” MEA said in its latest statement.
How did Zia die?
According to a BNP statement on Facebook, Begum Khaleda Zia died at around 6 am (local time) today. A key figure in Bangladesh’s political history, died at the age of 80, while she was undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
“Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6:00 am, just after Fajr prayer. We pray for the eternal peace of her soul and ask everyone to pray for her departed soul,” the BNP statement read. Zia was admitted to the capital Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital on November 23 with a lung infection.
The former Prime Minister has been suffering from various physical ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and kidney complications. Bangladesh’s next national parliamentary elections are scheduled for 12 February 2026, marking the first major vote since the political upheaval that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and led to an interim government.
In Zia’s absence, her son Rahman, who recently resurfaced in Bangladesh after a 17-year exile following corruption-related charges, is expected to lead the BNP’s election campaign.
PM Modi’s reaction
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the death of former Bangladesh PM and BNP Chairperson,and extended his sincere condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh.
“Deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. Our sincerest condolences to her family and all the people of Bangladesh. May the Almighty grant her family the fortitude to bear this tragic loss,” Prime Minister posted on X.