Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath has departed for Dhaka, Bangladesh this morning (31).

Minister Vijitha Herath is scheduled to represent Sri Lanka at the funeral ceremony of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia.

Khaleda Zia, who was the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, passed away in Dhaka yesterday (30) at the age of 80. Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest beside her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman.

The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, declared three days of national mourning, with an elaborate state funeral beginning with prayers outside parliament around 2:00 p.m.

Flags will be flown at half-mast, and a large deployment of security forces is expected across the capital, Dhaka.

Representatives from several South and Southeast Asian countries are expected to attend the funeral.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is due to attend the funeral, New Delhi said, the most senior visit by an Indian official since the overthrow of Hasina.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will also attend, Islamabad’s High Commission in Dhaka said.

Three-time prime minister Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Sheikh Hasina’s government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment.

Zia was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power.