In Dhaka for Zia's last rites, EAM hands her son letter from Modi

External affairs minister S Jaishankar represented India at the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Wednesday and told her son and political heir Tarique Rahman that her vision will guide the development of the partnership between the two neighbours.

- Rezaul H Laskar

Jaishankar's brief visit, which lasted about four hours, was the first by an Indian minister since bilateral ties hit an all-time low following the formation of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in August 2024. It was widely perceived in diplomatic circles as part of the Indian government's outreach to the leadership of Khaleda's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), widely tipped to emerge the single largest party in the election scheduled for February 12. Like other visiting regional leaders, Jaishankar met Rahman, the acting chairman of the BNP who recently returned from 17 years in self-exile in Britain, at the Parliament complex. Jaishankar said on social media he handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rahman.

In the letter, Modi recalled his meeting with Khaleda in Dhaka in June 2015, describing her as "a leader of rare resolve and conviction" who had the distinction of being Bangladesh's first woman prime minister. He said she made important contributions to the development of Bangladesh and to strengthening India-Bangladesh relations.