'Rare resolve, conviction’: What PM Modi said on Khaleda Zia in letter handed over to her son Tarique Rahman

As Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia, 80, passed away in Dhaka on December 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his heartfelt condolences to Zia's son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party's acting chief, Tarique Rahman who returned to Bangladesh recently after 17 years of a self-imposed exile.

PM Modi wrote to Rahman and said his thoughts are with the people of Bangladesh and that while her passing leaves an irreplaceable void, her vision and legacy will endure, according to news agency ANI.

PM Modi's letter was handed over to Tarique Rahman by India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was in Bangladesh on Wednesday to attend Khaleda Zia's funeral.

He recalled his first meeting with Zia in Dhaka in 2015 and said she made many important contributions to the development of Bangladesh, as well as to the strengthening of India-Bangladesh relations.

He recalled her contributions to Bangladesh's development and to "strengthening India-Bangladesh relations".

"While her passing leaves an irreplaceable void, her vision and legacy will endure. I am confident that her ideals will be carried forward under your able leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and will continue to serve as a guiding light to ensure a new beginning and the enrichment of the deep and historic partnership between India and Bangladesh," the letter read, as quoted by news agency ANI.

"At this moment of national mourning, my thoughts are also with the people of Bangladesh, who have shown remarkable strength and dignity throughout their history. I am confident that they will continue to be guided by their shared values, democratic traditions, and a deep sense of national unity, as they move forward in peace and harmony", it added.

"Please accept my heartfelt condolences once again. I pray to the Almighty to grant you and your family the strength and fortitude to overcome this difficult time. I also extend my best wishes to you in your future endeavours", PM Modi said.

EAM Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on a special flight on Wednesday morning where he was received by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. He met Rahman and conveyed India's deepest condolences on the death of his mother.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “On arrival in Dhaka, met with Mr Tarique Rahman @trahmanbnp, Acting Chairman of BNP and son of former PM of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia.”

He also expressed confidence in Khaleda Zia's legacy and its relevance to bilateral ties.

"Expressed confidence that Begum Khaleda Zia's vision and values will guide the development of our partnership," he added.

Jaishankar's Bangladesh visit comes amid strained tied between the two South Asian neighbours following the killing of a Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh as India raised the issue of safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

As Jaishankar concluded his Dhaka trip, he took to X and said that he would look forward to script a new chapter in ties, in shared interests driven by pragmatism and mutual interdependence, which he said, he ‘briefly discussed’ with Rahman.