External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the funeral today in Dhaka.
Former Prime Minister (PM) of Bangladesh and the country’s first woman PM died at the age of 80 on Tuesday (December 30, 2025) after prolonged illness. She dominated the country’s politics for decades and played a crucial role in restoring democracy after a period of tumultuous military rule. Bangladesh’s interim government announced a three-day mourning following her death. Ms. Zia’s funeral prayers are scheduled to be held in front of the country’s national Parliament building in Dhaka. She will be buried with full state honours beside her husband, former President General Ziaur Rahman. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi also offered condolences over her death.
The Centre announced that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Dhaka on Wednesday and attend the funeral of former PM of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia. This will be Mr. Jaishankar’s first visit to Bangladesh since the interim government took charge of the country after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Khaleda Zia belonged to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and is survived by her son Tarique Rahman who returned to Bangladesh on December 25 from his self-imposed UK exile of 17 years. Her son returned, as her health deteriorated in the last few weeks. Zia’s party was under intense attack and scrutiny from 2014-2024, where she along with many party leaders was imprisoned. She was sentenced to prison in 2018 on corruption charges.
