ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq attended the funeral of Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka amid a recent thaw in relations between the two South Asian countries after decades of unease.

Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a key political figure for decades, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said. Her death prompted messages of condolence from leaders across the region, including Pakistan’s prime minister.

Dignitaries from several countries, including India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Sadiq and Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Lyonpo D.N. Dhungyel were among those who attended the funeral, as per international media reports. The state funeral in Dhaka drew vast crowds of people outside Bangladesh’s parliament at Manik Mia Avenue. 

Sadiq later met Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, the acting chairperson of the BNP, to convey condolences over his mother’s demise from the people and government of Pakistan, the Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh said. 

“During the meeting, he recalled Begum Zia’s remarkable political leadership and noted her pivotal role in promoting historical affinities, mutual respect and cooperation between our two nations,” the high commission wrote on social media platform X. 

Sadiq is expected to meet senior officials of Bangladesh’s interim government, according to an earlier statement issued by his office.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had described Zia as a “committed friend of Pakistan” on Tuesday, praising her role in Bangladesh’s political life and expressing solidarity with the Bangladeshi people during what he called a difficult moment.

Zia, who served three terms as prime minister, led the BNP and remained a central figure in Bangladeshi politics despite years of ill health and imprisonment under the government of her longtime rival, Sheikh Hasina. She was released last year following Hasina’s ouster after a violent uprising.

Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of the same country until Bangladesh’s secession following a bloody civil war in 1971, an event that has long cast a shadow over bilateral ties. Relations remained largely strained for decades, shaped by historical grievances and political mistrust.

However, Islamabad enjoyed comparatively warmer ties with Dhaka during Zia’s tenure than under Hasina.

Engagement between Islamabad and Dhaka has increased since Hasina’s removal and the formation of an interim administration, with both sides signaling interest in improving political, diplomatic, economic and security ties.