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Reading out the reference for Khaleda Zia, he said, “I refer with profound sorrow to the passing away of Begum Khaleda Zia, former prime minister of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.”

Khaleda passed away on December 30, 2025.

“She was the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh and served in the office three times between 1991 and 2006. She also served as the leader of the opposition from 1996 to 2001. Khaleda Zia made important contributions to the development of Bangladesh and to Indo-Bangladesh bilateral relations,” the chairman said.

“The house joins the beloved family, the government and the people of Bangladesh in mourning the passing away of her excellency Begum Khaleda Zia,” Radhakrishnan said.