Prez Murmu meets Bangladesh PM Hasina, before Queen's funeral

London, Sep 19: President Draupadi Murmu met with Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina here on Monday before the commencement of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

President Murmu, who is in London on a three-day visit to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II scheduled at Westminster Abbey on Monday, visited Westminster Hall here on Sunday and offered tributes to the late British monarch on behalf of the Indian government and the people of India.

“President Draupadi Murmu met with Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana just before commencement of the State Funeral at London,” the President’s official Twitter account Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.

Earlier, President Murmu also attended the reception hosted by UK’s King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. The Indian head of state, who arrived on Saturday evening, will join around 500 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, and royals from across the world in a congregation of around 2,000 expected at the Abbey for a sombre ceremony to bid farewell to Britain's longest-serving monarch.

The funeral for the late queen, who died aged 96 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland, will be held at Westminster Abbey in London. Senior royals will gather in private as the Queen is laid to rest with her late husband in an enclave of the chapel named King George VI Memorial Chapel.