NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Indian FM Jaishankar hold meeting in Dhaka

In a major breakthrough, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held a meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday at the residence of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia.

According to sources, the National Assembly speaker and the Indian external affairs minister shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80. Flags were lowered to half-mast, and thousands of security personnel lined the streets as her body was carried through Dhaka in a vehicle draped with the national flag.

World leaders, including Sadiq and Jaishankar, also travelled to Dhaka to attend the funeral ceremonies of the former Bangladeshi leader.

The meeting marks the first such interaction since May 2025, when Pakistan and India fought a brief but intense war. It comes months after the Pahalgam incident, which led to cross-border clashes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The conflict between Pakistan and India was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which New Delhi, without evidence, said was backed by Pakistan. Pakistan has denied involvement, with the foreign ministry having questioned the credibility of India’s account of the events, saying it was “replete with fabrications”.

Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, artillery and drones during the four-day conflict, killing dozens of people, before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire. In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, Pakistan said it took down seven Indian fighter jets during the conflict, including the French-made Rafale. New Delhi acknowledged “some losses” during the conflict but denied losing seven jets.

Political tensions between the two neighbouring countries were also reflected on the cricket field during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, as Indian players reportedly refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.

The two teams met on three occasions during the tournament, including the final, yet India’s sportsmanship remained under scrutiny throughout.

The saga began in the group-stage clash, continued through the Super Four, and culminated in the final, where India defeated Pakistan but chose not to personally accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB Chairman and head of the Asian Cricket Council.

Similar handshake controversies were reported in the Women’s World Cup match between the two sides, the Hong Kong Super Sixes, and other ACC events, including junior tournaments where teams also avoided customary greetings.