New Delhi: The Indian parliament observed tributes to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on the opening day of the Budget Session 2026-27. After the session commenced with the President’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses, obituary references were held for deceased former MPs L Ganesan and Suresh Kalmadi, alongside Khaleda Zia. The Lok Sabha additionally paid homage to former MPs Shalini Patil, Bhanu Prakash Mirdha, Satyendra Nath Brohmo Chaudhury, Suresh Kalmadi and Kabindra Purkayastha. This tribute takes place against the backdrop of increasingly strained relations between India and Bangladesh.
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KHALEDA ZIA’S PASSING
Khaleda Zia, who served as Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister, died at 80 following a prolonged illness. She had been receiving treatment at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital since November 23 and remained on ventilator support from December 11. Her death occurred during a period of political turmoil in Bangladesh, with elections scheduled for February 2026. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences on the day of her passing. In his statement, PM Modi acknowledged her significant contributions to Bangladesh’s development and India-Bangladesh relations. Sharing photographs from his 2015 meeting with Khaleda Zia, PM Modi stated that her vision and legacy will continue to guide the India-Bangladesh partnership.
While Khaleda Zia is recognized for strengthening India-Bangladesh ties, her successor Sheikh Hasina has been perceived as maintaining closer relations with New Delhi. Khaleda Zia adopted a cautious and balanced approach to Indian relations while also engaging with China and Pakistan. She positioned her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as a “protector of Bangladesh’s interests,” sometimes against a backdrop of anti-India rhetoric. Nevertheless, the Indian PM had also offered India’s support and wished for Zia’s swift recovery when her condition became critical last year.
BANGLADESH’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND INDIA
Bangladesh is presently experiencing significant political instability and uncertainty following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, resulting in considerable strain in its relationship with India. Khaleda Zia’s son and current Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman, has returned to Bangladesh. He is viewed as the leading contender in the upcoming elections. He has submitted nomination papers to contest from the Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6 constituencies. His return is built upon a dual platform of national inclusive unity and a “Bangladesh First” foreign policy. In his party’s regional policy, he introduced the slogan, “Not Dilli (Delhi), not Pindi (Rawalpindi), Bangladesh before everything,” indicating a policy of maintaining equidistance from regional powers.
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