Jaishankar, Ishaq Dar to pay last respects to Khaleda Zia

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Dhaka on behalf of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay last respects to former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with senior representatives from Bhutan and the Maldives, are also expected to arrive in Dhaka to attend the funeral and related programmes.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka confirmed the matter on Tuesday, December 30.

According to MEA, S Jaishankar will travel to Dhaka to convey condolences and pay tribute to Khaleda Zia. 

Ishaq Dar is scheduled to arrive in the capital next Wednesday to attend the funeral, said Pakistan High Commission’s Counsellor (Press) M Fasih Ullah. 

Foreign dignitaries from Bhutan and the Maldives are also expected to join the mourning ceremonies.

Begum Khaleda Zia, who had been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka for the past 40 days, was declared dead by doctors at around 6:00am on Tuesday. She was 80.

Khaleda Zia, a three-time prime minister and one of Bangladesh’s most influential political figures, leaves behind a legacy that shaped the country’s politics for decades.