New Delhi [India], December 31 (ANI): Following the death of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, former diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar said that Bangladesh remains a very important partner for India.

Sajjanhar, who also served as a counsellor during the Zia regime in Bangladesh, handling political affairs and bilateral relations, said that while there have been problems in the past, but 'the current circumstances have to be managed well'

Speaking to ANI after her demise in a video interview, Sajjanhar said, 'She was the leader of a neighbouring country, and whatever might have been the problems between us in the past, and there have been difficult relations in the past, but Bangladesh is going through a different phase today. The world is going through a different phase today. And Bangladesh is a very important partner. We do not want Bangladesh to go completely onto the side of Pakistan, Turkey, China, etc. So, our relations under the current circumstances have to be managed well.'

His remarks come amid renewed political tensions in Bangladesh, which has witnessed fresh violence following the assassination of Inquilab Moncho leader and activist Usman Hadi, who had spearheaded last year's July uprising that led to the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.

Zia's death comes at a time when her son, Tarique Rahman, has recently returned after 17 years in exile, ahead of the country's elections scheduled for February 2026.

The former diplomat said Bangladesh has entered a new and uncertain phase following the removal of Sheikh Hasina's government, with Islamist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami gaining significant ground over the past one-and-a-half years.

'India would not like that there should be a purely Pakistan-leaning party totally devoted to good relations with Pakistan, as Jamaat-e-Islami is, along with many other Islamist elements that have been gaining greater strength over the last one and a half years,' he said.

According to the former envoy, the BNP is now emerging as a critical political player as Bangladesh heads towards elections.

He said Khaleda Zia's son, Tarique Rahman, has already returned and is widely viewed within the party as a prime ministerial contender, if the BNP wins the February elections.

Begum Khaleda Zia died early on Tuesday at the age of 80 while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

According to a BNP statement posted on Facebook, Zia died at around 6 am (local time), shortly after the Fajr prayer.

'We pray for the eternal peace of her soul and ask everyone to pray for her departed soul,' it added.

Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on November 23 with a lung infection. She had been suffering from multiple ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis and kidney complications. Earlier this month, she was sent to London for advanced medical treatment. (ANI)