NEW DELHI, India — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent the Indian government and people at the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Dhaka on Wednesday to attend the funeral, following the death of the veteran Bangladeshi leader earlier Tuesday morning after a prolonged illness. She was 80.
The BNP confirmed that Khaleda Zia died around 6 a.m. at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she had been receiving treatment for more than a month. She was admitted on November 23 after developing serious complications involving her heart and lungs and was also battling pneumonia in her final days, according to media reports. Doctors had described her condition as fragile, and she remained under close medical supervision for 36 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier expressed condolences on her passing, describing her as a historic leader whose contributions to Bangladesh and India-Bangladesh relations would be remembered.
“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,” Modi said in a message. He recalled meeting her in Dhaka in 2015 and said her role as Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and her contributions to bilateral ties would endure.
Over the years, Khaleda Zia suffered from multiple chronic ailments, including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, arthritis, and longstanding complications affecting her kidneys, lungs, heart, and eyesight. Her treatment was overseen by teams of specialists from Bangladesh and abroad. Efforts earlier this month to move her overseas for advanced treatment were abandoned after doctors advised against international travel due to her weakened condition.
The widow of former president Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia made history as Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and served two terms in office, remaining one of the most influential and polarizing figures in the country’s political life for decades. (Source: IANS)
