Khaleda’s death: Indian Defense Minister visits Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi to express condolences

Staff Correspondent

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh expressed condolences on behalf of the Indian government on the death of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.

He signed the condolence book at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday night. The Indian Express and a local journalist confirmed the matter.

Earlier on Wednesday, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman. During the meeting, Jaishankar said he believed that Khaleda Zia’s ‘philosophy and values’ would continue to serve as a guideline for the development of Bangladesh-India bilateral relations in the future.

Jaishankar also met with senior BNP leaders during this time. He also exchanged views with the interim government’s legal advisor Asif Nazrul and national security advisor Khalilur Rahman. However, he did not meet with the interim government’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus.

According to diplomatic observers, these initiatives by New Delhi are being seen as part of strengthening strategic communication with the party’s new leadership, taking into account the BNP’s potential important role in Bangladesh’s political context ahead of the national elections scheduled for February 12, 2026.

Meanwhile, high-level representatives from various South Asian countries attended the state funeral of Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Wednesday. Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Bhutanese Foreign Minister DN Dhungiel, Nepalese Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Bijitha Herath, and Maldives’ Minister for Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development and Special Envoy of the President, Dr. Ali Haider Ahmed were present.

During the mourning ceremony, Jaishankar and Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq were seen exchanging greetings, in what was described as a rare regional interaction.

Begum Khaleda Zia, one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh’s political history and the country’s first female Prime Minister, died at a private hospital in Dhaka on Tuesday. Various leaders and governments at the regional and international levels are expressing condolences on her death.