External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday handed over to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman a letter from Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi as thousands of people bid farewell to former premier Khaleda Zia at her funeral.

Shortly after landing in Dhaka, Jaishankar met Rahman, the acting chairman of BNP and Zia’s eldest son, and conveyed India’s deepest condolences over the death of the iconic leader who dominated Bangladesh’s politics for over three decades. The external affairs minister is representing India at Zia’s funeral.