Speaker Pays Tribute at State Funeral of Iran’s Late Supreme Leader

Speaker of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, paid tribute on behalf of Bangladesh at the state funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

At the solemn ceremony held at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, the Speaker offered prayers for the departed leader and conveyed Bangladesh’s condolences and solidarity with the people of Iran on behalf of the government and the people of Bangladesh.

During the programme, he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials and signed the condolence book.

Earlier, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad held a bilateral meeting with the Speaker of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He arrived in Tehran on Friday to attend the state funeral and was received at the airport by Iranian Deputy Speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei.

During the meeting, the Bangladesh Speaker condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader and reaffirmed the centuries-old friendship, strong cultural bonds and longstanding diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Iran, according to a press release issued by the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat.

He also praised Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf for his constructive role in implementing the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States aimed at promoting peace.

Expressing hope that the agreement would help foster lasting peace, stability and prosperity in Iran and across the region, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad reiterated Bangladesh’s continued support for peace efforts and stressed the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

The Speaker also invited his Iranian counterpart to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time to further strengthen parliamentary cooperation and bilateral relations.

Later, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad met Iranian Minister of Sports Ahmad Donyamali. During the meeting, the Iranian minister sought Bangladesh’s assistance in developing cricket in Iran and expressed interest in signing a Memorandum of Understanding on sports cooperation between the two countries.

In response, the Bangladesh Speaker said he would convey the proposal to Bangladesh’s State Minister for Youth and Sports.

The Speaker also gave an interview to the Bangla Service of Radio Iran, during which he discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues involving Bangladesh and Iran.

He further said he would request the relevant authorities in Bangladesh to enhance consular and other services for Bangladeshi expatriates living in Iran.