National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met on Wednesday in Dhaka at the residence of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Sources said the two leaders exchanged handshakes and pleasantries during the interaction.
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80. In her honor, flags were flown at half-mast, and thousands of security personnel were deployed as her coffin, draped in the national flag, was transported through the streets of Dhaka.
Several world leaders, including Sadiq and Jaishankar, traveled to the Bangladeshi capital to attend the funeral ceremonies.
This meeting marks the first interaction between senior Pakistani and Indian officials since May 2025, when the two countries engaged in a brief but intense military confrontation. The clash followed the Pahalgam incident, which triggered cross-border hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
#Pakistan's Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar @AyazSadiq122 meets Tariq Rehman, son of Begum Khaleda Zia and her Daughter in Dhaka -- Expresses Condolences on the sad demise. https://t.co/FxjERRjCpN pic.twitter.com/DcXCivBcsG
— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) December 31, 2025
The conflict erupted after an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). India accused Pakistan of backing the attack without presenting evidence, a claim Islamabad firmly denied. Pakistan’s foreign ministry questioned India’s narrative, calling it “replete with fabrications.”
During the four-day conflict, both sides deployed fighter jets, missiles, artillery, and drones, resulting in dozens of casualties before a US-brokered ceasefire was reached. Pakistan later claimed it shot down seven Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales. India admitted to sustaining losses but rejected the claim that seven aircraft were downed.
Political tensions between the two nations also spilled over into sports, particularly during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025. Indian players reportedly declined to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.
The teams faced each other three times in the tournament, including the final. Despite India winning the championship, its conduct drew criticism, especially when the Indian team chose not to personally receive the trophy from PCB Chairman and Asian Cricket Council head Mohsin Naqvi.
Similar handshake controversies were observed in other events, including the Women’s World Cup match, the Hong Kong Super Sixes, and several ACC tournaments. Even junior-level competitions reportedly saw teams avoiding traditional pre- and post-match greetings.
