New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday visited the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi to convey India’s condolences over the death of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia. Singh signed the condolence book at the mission, expressing deep sorrow at the passing of the veteran Bangladeshi leader.
Sharing details of his visit on social media platform X, Singh said he had conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to Zia’s family and the people of Bangladesh, describing the moment as one of shared grief and remembrance. He noted that Zia’s death marked the end of an era in Bangladesh’s political life.
Khaleda Zia, who served multiple terms as prime minister and led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for decades, passed away in Dhaka early Tuesday after a prolonged illness. She was 80. Her political career spanned several turbulent phases in the country’s history, during which she remained one of its most influential and polarising figures.
Zia holds a historic place in South Asian politics as the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh and the second female head of government in the Muslim world, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto. Her leadership and legacy continue to shape political discourse in Bangladesh and beyond.
