ISLAMABAD – National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met briefly in Dhaka on Wednesday during their visit to Bangladesh to attend funeral rites of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Reports said the two officials greeted each other warmly, exchanging handshakes and brief pleasantries at the residence of the late Bangladeshi leader.
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman to serve as prime minister, died on Tuesday at the age of 80. Following her death, national mourning was observed across the country, with flags flown at half-staff. Heavy security arrangements were put in place as her coffin, covered with the national flag, was taken through the streets of the capital.
Several international dignitaries, including representatives from Pakistan and India, arrived in Dhaka to participate in the funeral ceremonies and pay their respects to the veteran political figure.
The interaction between Sadiq and Jaishankar is being seen as a rare moment of engagement, as it occurred months after heightened tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced direct confrontation in May 2025, followed by strained relations after the Pahalgam incident, which triggered border skirmishes between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
