Jaishankar visits Dhaka to pay respects to Khaleda Zia
Dhaka has viewed positively the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Bangladesh, with the Indian policymaker arriving in Dhaka on Wednesday to pay his respects to Begum Khaleda Zia, the three-time former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who passed away on Tuesday morning.
Foreign Adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, made the remarks while speaking to reporters at his office in the capital on Thursday.
When asked whether the visit would help improve the strained relations between the two neighbouring countries, the Adviser stated that only time would tell.
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He noted that Begum Khaleda Zia was not only a popular leader in Bangladesh but also a highly respected figure across South Asia. Representatives from several South Asian countries attended her funeral on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Indian Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, visited the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and signed the condolence book, expressing profound sorrow at the passing of the former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson.
"Our thoughts are with her family and the people of Bangladesh," he wrote.
Separately, Law Adviser, Dr Asif Nazrul, and National Security Adviser, Dr Khalilur Rahman, met visiting Indian External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar; Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq; Nepal's Foreign Minister, Bala Nanda Sharma; and Bhutan's Foreign Minister, DN Dhungyel, at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka.
The foreign dignitaries arrived in the capital to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister and national leader, Begum Khaleda Zia.
The Advisers expressed gratitude to the visiting dignitaries for their presence and for showing solidarity with the people of Bangladesh during this period of national mourning.
