‘A Leader Of Rare Resolve, Her Vision Will Live On’: PM Modi Pays Tribute To Khaleda Zia In Personal Letter To Son Tarique Rahman | World News
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally reached out to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Deputy Chairman Tarique Rahman and expressed his sorrow over the demise of his mother, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and emphasized that her vision and legacy will continue to guide the country she once led.
In a heartfelt letter, Modi said he was deeply saddened by the loss of a leader who left a lasting mark on Bangladesh’s political life. He wrote that although his death creates an irreplaceable void, his ideas and contributions will remain permanent in the hearts of the people of Bangladesh and beyond.
The Prime Minister said, “I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of your mother, Her Excellency Begum Khaleda Zia, former prime minister of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Please accept my sincerest condolences on this deeply personal loss. May her soul rest in eternal peace.”
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Recalling his personal interactions with the late leader, PM Modi described him as a leader with “rare determination and conviction”. He referred to their meeting and discussions in Dhaka in June 2015, stating that she held the distinction of being Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and made contributions to the country’s development and to strengthening India-Bangladesh relations.
“He made significant contributions to the development of Bangladesh and the strengthening of India-Bangladesh relations,” he said, adding that his leadership left a deep and lasting mark.
In his message to Rahman, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that Zia’s ideals will continue to guide the BNP under his leadership. “Although his passing leaves an irreplaceable void, his vision and legacy will endure. I am confident that his ideals will advance under the able leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and continue to serve as a guiding light to ensure a new beginning and enrichment of the deep and historic partnership between India and Bangladesh,” the letter said.
Prime Minister Modi also expressed his thoughts to the people of Bangladesh during this period of national mourning and praised their strength and dignity. “My thoughts are also with the people of Bangladesh, who have shown strength and dignity throughout their history. I am confident that they will continue to be guided by their shared values, democratic traditions and sense of national unity as we move forward in peace and harmony.”
At the end of his message, the Prime Minister prayed for Rahman and his family. “Once again, please accept my heartfelt condolences. I pray that God Almighty will give you and your family the strength and fortitude to overcome this difficult period. I also wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”
India’s condolences were conveyed in person by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar when he arrived in Dhaka in a private plane that landed at 11.30 am on Wednesday morning, December 31, 2025. He was received in Bangladesh by the Indian High Commissioner and later met the BNP deputy chairman to express India’s grief over the loss of his mother.
In a post on
He added that he had delivered a personal letter from PM Modi: “I have delivered him a personal letter from Prime Minister @narendramodi. I have conveyed my deepest condolences on behalf of the Government and people of India.”
The minister also spoke of the continued importance of Zia’s legacy: “We expressed confidence that Begum Khaleda Zia’s vision and values will guide the development of our partnership.”
When I arrived in Dhaka, I met with Mr. Tarique Rahman @trahmanbnpHe is the son of BNP Deputy Chairman and former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia.
A personal letter was delivered to him from the Prime Minister @narendramodi.
He expressed his deepest condolences on behalf of the government and… pic.twitter.com/xXNwJsRTmZ—Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 31, 2025
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah said the foreign minister’s visit reflects the intention of both countries to move forward together. In a post on
Former Indian Ambassador to Bangladesh Veena Sikri described the visit as a good and meaningful gesture at a sensitive time.
Begum Khaleda Zia was buried next to her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka on Wednesday, The Daily Star reported. His funeral took place after namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayers) at the South Square of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to the senior leader. While the funeral prayer was performed by the orator of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan also supervised the ceremony. From early morning, Manik Mia Avenue witnessed a steady stream of mourners, with BNP leaders and party workers coming from all over Dhaka and areas like Feni, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Narayanganj.
Chief Advisor to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, also came to the Parliament Complex to attend the funeral prayer and pay his last respects. The funeral attracted great interest regionally, and many South Asian countries sent high-level representatives to Dhaka to attend the state funeral, The Daily Star reported.
Bangladesh observed a public holiday on Wednesday and began a three-day official mourning period.
Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at the age of 80, after a long illness. An important figure in the country’s politics, he served as prime minister for three terms and played an important role in the restoration of democracy after years of military rule.
Prime Minister Modi had earlier expressed his sorrow over her death, recalled his meeting with her in Dhaka in 2015 and expressed his condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh.
We are deeply saddened to learn that former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia passed away in Dhaka.
We express our sincere condolences to his family and all the people of Bangladesh. May God Almighty give his family the strength to bear this tragic loss.
Aspect… pic.twitter.com/BLg6K52vak—Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 30, 2025
