Both houses of India's parliament have paid tribute to Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister of Bangladesh and long-time leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who died on 30 December, acknowledging her role in shaping Bangladesh's political landscape and fostering ties with India.
The tributes were paid on Wednesday at the start of India's annual budget session, with lawmakers observing moments of silence in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in her memory.
In the lower house, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla referred to Khaleda Zia's contribution to strengthening bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, saying her role in regional diplomacy would be remembered. The obituary reference was moved shortly after President Droupadi Murmu's customary address to a joint sitting of parliament, which formally marked the opening of the 2026-27 budget session.
The upper house, Rajya Sabha, followed with a separate tribute. Chairman and Indian vice-president C P Radhakrishnan read out the obituary reference, describing Khaleda Zia's death as a moment of "profound sorrow" and highlighting her status as Bangladesh's first woman prime minister.
"She served Bangladesh as prime minister on three occasions between 1991 and 2006 and as leader of the opposition from 1996 to 2001," Radhakrishnan said. "She made important contributions to the development of Bangladesh and to Indo-Bangladesh bilateral relations."
Members of the Rajya Sabha stood in silence as a mark of respect. Radhakrishnan later said the secretary general of the upper house would formally convey condolences to Khaleda Zia's family on behalf of the parliament.
"The House joins the bereaved family, the government and the people of Bangladesh in mourning her passing," he said.
Khaleda Zia was one of the most influential and polarising figures in Bangladesh's post-independence politics, dominating the country's political life for decades alongside her rival Sheikh Hasina. Her tenure as prime minister coincided with periods of both cooperation and tension in relations with India, but Indian lawmakers on Wednesday focused on her broader contribution to bilateral engagement.
Obituary references for Khaleda Zia, along with those for five deceased Indian members of parliament, were tabled in both houses following the president's address, in keeping with parliamentary convention.
The rare cross-party tributes in New Delhi underscored the regional significance of Khaleda Zia's political legacy and her enduring place in South Asia's modern political history.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
© 2026 - All Rights with The Financial Express
