Rajnath Singh Pays Tribute to Khaleda Zia at Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to former Bangladesh prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia by signing the condolence book at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, expressing deep sorrow over her death.

Rajnath Singh visited the Bangladesh High Commission on Thursday afternoon (January 1) to offer his last respects. Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah, received him at the mission, where he signed the condolence book dedicated to Khaleda Zia.

In his condolence message, Rajnath Singh wrote that on behalf of the Government and people of India, he expressed heartfelt sympathy over the passing of former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia. He noted that her significant contributions to strengthening India-Bangladesh relations would always be remembered.

In a subsequent post on X, Rajnath Singh said he had visited the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and signed the condolence book to express profound grief over Khaleda Zia’s death, extending condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh.

This marked Rajnath Singh’s second visit to the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi. Earlier, on November 22, 2021, he attended Bangladesh Armed Forces Day celebrations there as the chief guest.

Khaleda Zia passed away on Tuesday (December 30) while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Her funeral prayers were held on Wednesday (December 31) at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building and along Manik Mia Avenue, where people from all walks of life joined in large numbers.

Representatives from several countries also arrived in Dhaka to pay their final respects. Among them was India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who met BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Wednesday afternoon before the funeral and conveyed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s condolence message to him.