EAM Jaishankar hands over PM Modi’s letter to Zia’s son

Dhaka: Bangladesh on Wednesday held the Namaz-e-Janaza of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, as thousands gathered to pay their final respects to the veteran leader. As reported by The Daily Star, the funeral prayer was led by the khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, while BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan oversaw the proceedings. From early morning, Manik Mia Avenue witnessed a steady influx of mourners, with BNP leaders and party activists arriving from across Dhaka and districts such as Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Narayanganj to attend the Namaz-e-Janaza. Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus reached the Parliament Complex to join the funeral prayers and offer his last respects. Following the Namaz-e-Janaza, it was announced that Khaleda Zia will be buried beside her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

The funeral drew wide regional attention, with multiple South Asian nations dispatching senior representatives to Dhaka to attend the state funeral, The Daily Star reported.

India formally confirmed its participation in the last rites. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday morning on a special flight that landed at 11:30 am and was received by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported, citing a spokesperson for the Indian High Commission.  (ANI)

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