S Jaishankar Meets Tarique Rahman, Pak Speaker At Khaleda Zia's Funeral

The foreign minister's four-hour visit to Dhaka came amid frosty ties with the neighbouring country since the interim government headed by Yunus came to power.

31 Dec 2025, 15:35 · www.ndtv.com

Show
Quick Read
Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended Khaleda Zia's funeral in Dhaka today
Jaishankar met her son and BNP leader Tarique Rahman and handed a condolence letter from PM Modi
He also briefly met Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq

Did our AI summary help?
Let us know.
Switch To Beeps Mode
New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who represented India at the funeral of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, met her son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman and handed him a letter of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier, he also had a brief meeting with Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker - a first since Operation Sindoor.

Government sources said nothing should be read into the exchange of greetings with the Pakistani speaker.

The foreign minister's four-hour visit to Dhaka came amid frosty ties with the neighbouring country since the interim government headed by Yunus came to power. India has expressed concerns repeatedly over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.

Read: 'Will Script New Chapter': Bangladesh High Commissioner On S Jaishankar Visit

Zia, the three-time prime minister of Bangladesh and BNP chief, died on Tuesday after a long illness. Rahman, the acting chairman of BNP and a front-runner for the prime minister post in the election due on February 12, is her eldest son.

During his meeting with Rahman, Jaishankar acknowledged Zia's contribution to democracy and expressed optimism about closer India-Bangladesh ties after the coming elections.

The meeting with Ayaz Sadiq took place in a room where senior ministers and dignitaries from neighbouring countries who came to attend the funeral had gathered. Jaishankar was also seen exchanging pleasantries with other dignitaries including new Nepalese foreign minister Balananda Sharma.

The photograph of Jaishankar's meeting with Sadiq was shared by Yunus. "Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, exchanges greetings with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of the funeral programme of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia," the caption read.

Dhaka's growing closeness with Pakistan and its all-weather ally China since the government headed by Yunus came to power is a situation that is being closely watched by India.

Show full article

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world