- PM Modi sent a condolence letter to Tarique Rahman at the funeral of Khaleda Zia
- He praised Khaleda Zia as Bangladesh's first woman Prime Minister and strong leader
- PM Modi's letter was delivered by S Jaishankar, who represented India at the funeral of Khaleda Zia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his condolence letter to Tarique Rahman - the son of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and the acting chairman leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party - recalled his association with her and expressed hope that the people of Bangladesh, who have shown "remarkable strength and dignity throughout their history... will continue to be guided by their shared values, democratic traditions, and a deep sense of national unity".
PM Modi's letter was delivered today by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who represented India at the funeral of Khaleda Zia.
Expressing his condolences in the letter, PM Modi had said, "I warmly recall my meeting and discussions with Begum Sahiba in Dhaka in June 2015".
"She was a leader of rare resolve and conviction and had the distinction of being the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She made many important contributions to the development of Bangladesh, as well as to the strengthening of India-Bangladesh relations," he wrote.
"While her passing leaves an irreplaceable void, her vision and legacy will endure," PM Modi added. "I am confident that her ideals will be carried forward under your able leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and will continue to serve as a guiding light to ensure a new beginning and the enrichment of the deep and historic partnership between India and Bangladesh," he wrote.
Zia, the three-time Prime Minister of Bangladesh who headed the BNP, died on Tuesday after a long illness. Her funaral today was attended by thousands, including dignitaries from various nations. She was laid to rest with full State honours this afternoon beside her husband, the country's former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka.
Rahman, a front-runner for the prime minister post in the election due on February 12, is Khaleda Zia's eldest son.
During his meeting with Rahman, Jaishankar acknowledged Zia's contribution to democracy. He also expressed optimism about closer India-Bangladesh ties -- which have been frayed since the government led by Mohammad Yunus came to power -- after the elections due in February. Dhaka's growing closeness with Pakistan and its all-weather ally China lately has been a situation that is being closely watched by India.
