DHAKA : Speaker of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, has 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 condolences and solidarity to 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 leaders and signed the condolence book.

Earlier, the Speaker held a bilateral meeting with 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 strongly condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader and reaffirmed the centuries-old friendship, deep cultural ties and diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Iran, said a press release of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat.

Hafiz Uddin Ahmadalso highly appreciated the constructive role played by Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf 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 contribute to lasting peace, stability and prosperity in Iran and across the region, he reiterated Bangladesh’s continued support for the peace process and underscored the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

The Speaker formally invited his Iranian counterpart to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time to further strengthen bilateral parliamentary cooperation and overall relations between the two countries.

Later, Hafiz Uddin Ahmadmet 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. 

The Bangladesh Speaker said he would convey the proposal to the State Minister for Youth and Sports.

The Speaker also gave an interview to Bangla Service of Radio Iran, where he discussed various bilateral and regional issues concerning Bangladesh and Iran. 

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