Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma reached Dhaka on Tuesday to attend the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chair Khaleda Zia.

He was received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Nepali ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanashyam Bhandari, and Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh M. Forhadul Islam.

The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over Khaleda Zia’s passing. In a statement, she said the former leader’s death was a great loss to Bangladesh and the region. “On behalf of the government and people of Nepal, I extend my heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the people of Bangladesh,” she said.

Karki described Khaleda Zia as a lifelong public servant whose leadership marked a historic chapter in Bangladesh’s democratic journey. She also recalled her as a close friend of Nepal who played a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations. “May her departed soul rest in eternal peace,” the prime minister said.

Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, died at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness, according to her party. She had been suffering from advanced cirrhosis of the liver, along with arthritis, diabetes, and heart and chest complications. She had travelled to London for medical treatment earlier this year and stayed for four months before returning to Bangladesh.

Zia first became prime minister in 1991 and later served a second term. Her political career was defined by a long and bitter rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, with the two leaders dominating Bangladeshi politics for decades. Although she had been out of power since 2006 and spent several years in jail or under house arrest, her centre-right BNP has continued to command strong public support and is seen as the frontrunner in the upcoming parliamentary elections in February.

Her son, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, returned to Bangladesh last week after nearly 17 years in self-exile and is widely viewed as a leading contender for the premiership. Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, following a student-led uprising that forced Sheikh Hasina from office.