Wed Dec 31 04:34:36 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text:
News Article:
Bangladesh Bids Farewell to Former PM Khaleda Zia, India Sends Representative
Dhaka, Bangladesh – December 31, 2025 – Bangladesh is holding a state funeral today for Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female Prime Minister and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a long illness. The funeral, scheduled for 2:00 PM local time, will take place at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka, a change from the originally planned location at the South Plaza of the Parliament.
Large crowds of supporters and BNP leaders have gathered in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, where Zia will be laid to rest beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981. A significant security presence has been deployed across Dhaka in anticipation of the event, amidst a three-day period of national mourning.
India will be represented at the funeral by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, though it remains uncertain if he will hold separate bilateral talks with interim government chief Muhammad Yunus. Zia’s death marks the end of an era in Bangladesh politics, and her role in shaping India-Bangladesh relations over decades of political and diplomatic interaction is being widely recognized.
This article was updated at 10:16 AM IST.
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