Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has described the presence of regional leaders at the funeral of former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as a positive gesture.
Speaking about the visit of foreign dignitaries who travelled to Dhaka to pay their final respects, the adviser said their attendance reflected the respect Khaleda Zia commanded across the region.
Among those present were Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq; India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar; Bhutan’s Foreign Minister D N Dhungyel; Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma; Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath; and Maldives’ Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development Ali Haidar Ahmed.
“We should not view this issue through the lens of inter-state relations or politics,” Touhid said. “Begum Khaleda Zia had a positive image in the region and established a strong position for herself. She was widely accepted by the people of Bangladesh and was a respected figure, which regional leaders recognised. In South Asia, everyone understands this.”
Referring to the visit of the Indian foreign minister, the adviser said it was a positive signal. “The Indian foreign minister came to Dhaka on a brief visit, but he attended all the programmes and then departed,” he noted.
Asked about his interaction with Jaishankar, Touhid said there was no opportunity for a one-to-one meeting. “Other foreign guests, including the Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly, were present. There was no bilateral discussion. We spoke in front of everyone, and politics was not discussed,” he said.
When asked whether the visit could help ease tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi, the adviser replied, “You will have to find the answer to that in the future.”
