Jaishankar attends Khaleda Zia's funeral

31-Dec-2025

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Amid strained ties between India and Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the state funeral of Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), on Dec 31.

Zia's death comes on the heels of her son and BNP’s de facto chief, Tarique Rahman, returning to poll-bound Bangladesh after 17 years in exile.

The act is seen as New Delhi’s outreach to Dhaka at a time when India’s relationship with its South Asian ally has plunged, ever since Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a student uprising last year.