Indian and Pakistani Leaders Exchange Greetings in Dhaka Ahead of Khaleda Zia’s Funeral

DHAKA: Senior leaders from India and Pakistan briefly exchanged greetings in Dhaka on Tuesday as they arrived to attend the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia, marking a rare moment of diplomatic interaction on Bangladeshi soil.

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq were seen shaking hands as regional leaders gathered to pay their final respects. The interaction was confirmed in an official post on the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s Facebook page.

Dr Jaishankar arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 11:30am, where he was welcomed by senior officials from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq landed approximately 20 minutes later, at 11:50am, and was received by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh and senior Bangladeshi foreign ministry officials, according to the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

The presence of high-ranking representatives from both India and Pakistan at the funeral underscored the regional significance of Khaleda Zia’s political legacy and highlighted Dhaka’s role as a diplomatic meeting ground during a solemn occasion.

While no formal talks were announced, the brief exchange between the Indian and Pakistani leaders drew attention amid often-strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.