Representatives from several South Asian countries are expected to arrive in Dhaka to pay their final respects to former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who died early on Tuesday.
Officials at Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said delegations from India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives would attend the funeral events on Wednesday.
According to diplomatic sources, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Dhaka as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bhutan’s Foreign Minister D N Dhungyel, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath are also scheduled to arrive.
The Maldivian President is sending a special representative, Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development Minister Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed, while Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will attend on behalf of Islamabad, officials said.
Begum Khaleda Zia died at around 6:00am at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she had been receiving treatment. She was 79.
The government has declared three days of state mourning from 31 December to 2 January following her death. National flags will be flown at half-mast during the period.
A public holiday has also been declared across Bangladesh on Wednesday to allow people to attend funeral prayers and pay their respects.
Khaleda Zia served as prime minister twice and remained one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh’s politics for decades. Her death has prompted an outpouring of condolences from political leaders, diplomats and supporters at home and abroad.
Authorities said security and logistical preparations were under way in Dhaka ahead of the arrival of foreign dignitaries and the large public turnout expected for her funeral rites.
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