Handshake in Dhaka: Rare India-Pak courtesy exchange as Jaishankar meets Ayaz Sadiq at Khaleda Zia funeral

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday briefly met Pakistan Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka on the sidelines of the funeral programme of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The brief exchange of greetings was the first high-level contact between India and Pakistan since Operation Sindoor.

The interaction took place ahead of the ceremony, where Jaishankar and Sadiq were seen shaking hands and exchanging greetings. The brief exchange drew attention given the otherwise strained relations between India and Pakistan.

Sharing photos of handshake from the meeting, Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus wrote on X: "Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, exchanges greetings with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of the funeral programme of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia."

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, exchanges greetings with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of the funeral programme of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. pic.twitter.com/YDoX5o0Vbi

— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) December 31, 2025

CNN-News18 quoted government sources saying the interaction was purely informal and should not be seen as any form of bilateral engagement between the two countries.

Calling the exchange protocol-driven, sources said such brief interactions are routine at multilateral events like state funerals and should not be viewed as diplomatic outreach.

“This was not part of any bilateral engagement. There was no formal meeting, discussion or agenda scheduled or held between the two sides,” sources told CNN-News18.

They clarified that Dhaka was only the venue for the funeral and did not play any role as a facilitator or mediator between India and Pakistan.

Sources also stressed that the brief greeting does not signal any shift in India’s policy towards Pakistan. India’s position remains unchanged, they said, adding that normalisation of ties can only happen in an atmosphere free of cross-border terrorism.

S. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day to attend the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. A towering figure in Bangladesh politics for decades, Zia served as prime minister multiple times and led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Representing India at the funeral, Jaishankar handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of the former prime minister.