ZCZC
BSS-31
VAJPAYEE-TRIBUTE-MAHMOOD
Mahmood pays tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee
NEW DELHI , Aug 17, 2018 (BSS) – Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali attended the funeral of the former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee this afternoon in New Delhi.
He placed flower wreath on behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh at the funeral to show respect to one of the towering leaders of India, a press release of Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi said.
High Commissioner of Bangladesh Syed Muazzem Ali accompanied him at the last rites of the veteran leader.
In the evening, Mahmood met the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and personally conveyed the condolence on behalf of Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Earlier, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, in her condolence message, expressed deep shock at the sad demise of Vajpayee.
“He was our great friend and highly respected in Bangladesh,” she said.
She also recalled his tireless work for the welfare of the people of India and his significant strides towards acceleration of inclusive economic growth in India.
As a token of recognition for his invaluable contribution to Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971, Sheikh Hasina’s government conferred the ‘Bangladesh Liberation War Honour’ on Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2015.
The 93-year-old BJP veteran Vajpayee breathed his last at 5:05 pm on Thursday at All India Institutes of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi, where he had been in life support for last 10 days.
Vajpayee, who led the National Democratic Alliance government from 1998 to 2004, was the first-ever member of the BJP to become India’s Prime Minister.
The Central and all State governments have declared seven-day mourning to show respect to the former Prime Minister.
The King of Bhutan, Ministers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mauritius attended the funeral ceremony. Among the Indian leadership, President, Vice President, Prime Minister, other Cabinet Ministers of India and other dignitaries attended the funeral ceremony.
BSS/PR/MMR/MRU/2024hrs