External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent the Government and people of India at the funeral of Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and long-time chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar will travel to Dhaka on December 31 to attend the funeral and convey India’s condolences following Khaleda Zia’s death on December 30, 2025, at the age of 80.
India’s Representation & Diplomatic Context
Khaleda Zia was Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister and one of the country’s most influential political figures, having served three terms in office. Her political career, spanning decades, played a defining role in shaping Bangladesh’s domestic politics as well as its external relations, including ties with India. The Indian government’s decision to be represented at a senior level underscores the importance New Delhi attaches to its relationship with Bangladesh, despite periods of sharp political divergence during Khaleda Zia’s tenure.
Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, is set to succeed her as leader of the BNP and is being viewed within political circles as a potential future Prime Minister. Analysts note that her legacy is likely to continue influencing Bangladesh’s political direction in the years ahead.
Khaleda Zia & India Relations
Khaleda Zia’s relationship with India evolved significantly over time. Early in her political career, she positioned the BNP as a defender of Bangladeshi sovereignty against what she described as Indian dominance. She frequently accused her political rival, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, of compromising national interests in dealings with New Delhi. One of her most cited remarks likened the toll-free movement of Indian trucks through Bangladesh to “slavery”, reflecting her nationalist stance.
During her terms from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006, relations between Delhi and Dhaka were often strained. Indian officials accused her government of providing safe havens to insurgent groups from India’s northeast, including the United Liberation Front of Assam, and of maintaining links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, allegations that further deepened mistrust.
Her first official visit to India took place in May 1992 for the eighth SAARC Summit, during which the groundwork was laid for the leasing of the Teen Bigha Corridor. In June 1992, India agreed to lease the corridor for 999 years under the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement, granting Bangladesh access to the Dahagram-Angarpota enclave.
Despite this, Khaleda Zia remained opposed to granting India transit or trans-shipment rights to its northeastern states, arguing such arrangements would undermine Bangladesh’s security. She also became the first Bangladeshi Prime Minister to internationalise the long-standing river water-sharing dispute by taking it to the United Nations.
Her later years saw a more pragmatic, though cautious, engagement with India, an evolution that continues to shape bilateral ties today.
