Condolences continued to pour in from world dignitaries for former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj who breathed her last due to cardiac arrest on Tuesday night.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to Swaraj and extended sympathy to her family.
"She (Sushma) was a good friend of Bangladesh. With her death, Bangladesh has lost a good friend. Bangladesh will recall her contributions in taking the relationship between the two countries to a new height," Hasina was quoted by bdnews24 as saying.
Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif also expressed his condolences over Swaraj's demise and recalled his "fruitful" discussions with her.
"My deepest condolences to the government and the people of India on the passing of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. I had many fruitful and useful discussions with her while she held office, and am saddened by her sudden passing. May she forever rest in peace," he tweeted.
Echoing similar sentiments, former Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon recalled Swaraj's visit to Jerusalem in 2016 and said she was "impressively accessible" to the Indian diaspora.
"Saddened by the passing away of former #EAM @SushmaSwaraj ji. An #Indian leader who was always impressively accessible to all #Indian citizens worldwide. I will not forget her friendship to Israel In #Parliament & in #Government & her visit to #Jerusalem, 2016. She will be missed," he wrote on Twitter.
United Nationas General Assembly President María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés said she was saddened by the news of Swaraj's death and described her as an extraordinary woman and leader who devoted her life to public service.
"I had the honor of meeting her in my visits to #India, & will always remember her fondly. My deepest condolences to all of her loved ones," she tweeted.
Calling her "Behinji", former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai expressed his grief over the loss of a "tall leader" and"people's person".
"Deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Behinji Sushma Swaraj. A tall leader and a great orator and people's person. My profound condolences to the people of India and her family and friends," he tweeted.
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa expressed his condolences, addressing Swaraj as his "dear sister".
"Indian leader and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who always called me "My Brother", is not with us anymore. Rest In Peace "my dear sister". India and Bahrain will miss you," he tweeted.
The Russian foreign ministry paid tributes to Swaraj saying, "We express our sincere condolences to the people of #India on the passing away of the former FM of this friendly country @SushmaSwaraj."
French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler said she was one of India's most respected leaders who showed remarkable dedication to serving her fellow citizens and took the Indo-French relationship to new heights.
Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malka visited Swaraj's residence and paid his last respects.
Condoling the death of his former Indian counterpart, Afghanistan's foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani said Swaraj led her country with "distinction and determination".
"I'm saddened to hear of the untimely demise of @SushmaSwaraj, Senior BJP leader & former Foreign Minister of India. My deepest condolences to the people & government of India on the loss of a distinguished public figure who represented her country w/ distinction & determination," he tweeted.
Swaraj was admitted to All India Institutes of Medical Sciences following a deterioration in her health.
According to sources at AIIMS, the 67-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart was feeling restless at 9 pm and reached the hospital at around 9:30 pm in an ambulance.
A team of doctors tried to revive her for 70 to 80 minutes but failed in their attempt. Swaraj was declared dead at 10:50 pm.
Swaraj was appointed the foreign minister in the first term of the Narendra Modi government in 2014. She opted out of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections citing health reasons.
As the external affairs minister, Swaraj helped implement the foreign policy of the Modi government which witnessed an expansion in engagement with the Indian diaspora across the world.
During her tenure, Swaraj had been active and popular on Twitter reaching out to the Indian diaspora in distress for assistance.
With inputs from PTI
