Maldives' Higher Education Minister Attends Khaleda Zia's State Funeral as President's Envoy

Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed, represented the Maldives at the state funeral of the late Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The state funeral took place on 31 December in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dr Haidar attended as the Special Envoy of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, conveying condolences from the President, the government, and the people of the Maldives to Tarique Rahman, Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of the late Begum Khaleda Zia, as well as senior members of the Bangladeshi government. During his visit, Dr Haidar engaged in discussions with foreign ministers from Nepal, Bhutan, and India, and the Speaker of Pakistan's Parliament, focusing on regional cooperation and shared interests. Begum Khaleda Zia was Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister and served in the position three times.