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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, remembering his late mother Khaleda Zia as a leader who played a significant role in deepening relations between India and Bangladesh. The letter was delivered by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar when he met Rahman in Dhaka on Wednesday, coinciding with Zia’s funeral.
In the message, PM Modi recalled his past engagement with the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister and acknowledged her place in the country’s political history.
"I warmly recall my meeting and discussions with Begum Sahiba (Khaleda Zia) in Dhaka in June 2015. She was a leader of rare resolve and conviction, and had the distinction of being the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She made many important contributions to the development of Bangladesh as well as to the strengthening of the India-Bangladesh ties,"
PM Modi also conveyed his condolences to Zia’s family and supporters, noting that her death marked the end of an era in Bangladesh’s politics. He described her passing as a major loss for the country and its people.
Emphasising continuity, the Prime Minister expressed hope that Zia’s ideals would be carried forward by the BNP under Tarique Rahman’s leadership.
"While her passing leaves an irreplaceable void, her vision and legacy will endure. I am confident that her ideals will be carried forward under your able leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and will continue to serve as a guiding light to ensure a new beginning and the enrichment of the deep and historic partnership between India and Bangladesh,"
Khaleda Zia, who served as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister three times, was buried with full state honours in Dhaka on Wednesday. Thousands of mourners and several dignitaries, including Jaishankar, attended the funeral ceremony.
The 80-year-old BNP stalwart was laid to rest beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, which houses the country’s parliament.
Before the funeral rites, Jaishankar held a meeting with Tarique Rahman, who is widely seen as a key political figure and a potential future leader of Bangladesh.
