Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq met in Dhaka to pay their respects to BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. The meeting took place on Wednesday (December 31) at Khaleda Zia’s residence, bringing together top officials from Delhi and Islamabad. Pakistani news outlet Geo TV described the meeting as a major “breakthrough,” while the Pakistani Speaker tweeted that it marked a significant achievement in bilateral interactions.

Earlier, ahead of Khaleda Zia’s funeral, India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nand Sharma, and Bhutan’s Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel held discussions at the National Parliament. They met with Dr. Asif Nazrul, Legal Adviser to the National Parliament, and Dr. Khalilur Rahman, National Security Adviser, during their visit.

Begum Khaleda Zia passed away on the morning of December 30 at the age of 80. Following her funeral on Wednesday, she was laid to rest at Zia Udyan beside the grave of her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman.