Foreign govt leaders join Khaleda’s funeral

South Asian government leaders like the foreign ministers of India, Nepal and Bhutan and the Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly met BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to convey condolences on the death of Khaleda Zia on behalf of their respective countries as state funerals marked her burial Wednesday.

A BNP spokesperson said that neighbouring India sent a condolence message expressing deep respect for the BNP chairperson on her passing.

The message was formally handed over to Tarique Rahman by India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, at the National Parliament House on Wednesday afternoon.

Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, arrived in Dhaka to attend Khaleda Zia's funeral. He also expressed his condolences in person to Tarique Rahman at the National Parliament House on the premises of which funeral prayers for the three-time premier of Bangladesh were held.

Neighbouring countries Nepal and Bhutan also sent condolence messages expressing profound respects following Khaleda Zia's death. On Wednesday afternoon, the messages were handed over to Tarique Rahman at the Parliament House by Nepalese Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma and Bhutanese Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Lyonpo D. N. Dhungel.

Other countries of the world and the United Nations were represented by their envoys in Dhaka at the funerals.

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