The nation has said goodbye to Begum Khaleda Zia, one of the undoubted giants of Bangladesh politics, in what can only be described as a grand farewell, but unlike many such occasions where the grandeur on display often comes from the pomp and pageantry on display, this time it came from the sheer outpouring of love and respect that the people showed, turning out in untold numbers for her janaza, that was held as a state event on the last day of 2025.

The significance of Begum Zia's passing, and the baton to lead the BNP passing to her son Tarique Rahman, was not lost on anyone. As the party is in prime position to take the reins of Bangladesh through the election scheduled for February 12, it extended even beyond our borders, and the janaza turned into almost something of a mini-regional event. Four members of Saarc sent senior representatives of their government, with India's Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar being the first to confirm his attendance. During his brief stay in the capital, he formally handed over a message of condolence to Tarique Rahman at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The message, delivered on behalf of the government and people of India, was shared by the BNP Media Cell as a mark of respect following the passing of the three-time former prime minister.

There is scope to read more into this overture on the part of the ruling dispensation in Delhi. In the course of Sheikh Hasina's decade-and-a-half reign, it is well-known of course that she enjoyed the full support of the Indian establishment, owing to some misunderstandings with the last BNP-Jamaat government, notably over the "10-truck case", as the discovery in Chittagong of a huge cache of weapons destined for insurgent groups active in north-east India became known. The fact is that such insurgent groups have long histories, and were never nurtured by the BNP or anyone else here. Although their leaders lived here temporarily in the 2000s, the evidence is patchy that they did so with state patronage. Their dismantling needed Delhi to get serious about resolving the issue, which they did post 2009, and the AL government handed over some of their leaders accordingly.

We expect any future government of Bangladesh would recognise the folly in getting mixed up in any such misadventurism. It was also nice to see Jaishankar shaking hands with the Pakistani representative at the event, the speaker of their National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq - something the two countries' cricketers have failed to manage in recent times. It reflected a sense of respect for what was a solemn occasion. It all contributed to what was in every sense of the word a historic sendoff for Bangladesh's uncompromising champion of democracy, who rose to become its first female prime minister. Yet she showed that when it comes to winning the people's love and respect, you can achieve as much in opposition as you do in government. That is the legacy Begum Zia's life bestows on future generations.