Jaishankar attends Khaleda Zia's state funeral, delivers Modi's condolences
India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar represented the country at the state funeral of Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister, in Dhaka.
He handed over a personal condolence letter from PM Narendra Modi to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and expressed India's sympathy for her passing at age 80.
Who was Khaleda Zia?
Khaleda Zia made history as Bangladesh's first woman Prime Minister, serving three terms (including a brief second term in 1996) between 1991 and 2006.
She championed democracy, expanded free education—especially for girls—and pushed for women's job opportunities.
Under her leadership, the economy grew steadily and Bangladesh became a major player in garment exports.
In 2005, Forbes named her one of the world's most powerful women.