On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, with the goal of raising bilateral relations to a new level. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, during the meeting, the two sides reviewed a wide range of topics, including “high-level exchanges, trade and economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts, cultural exchanges, cooperation on education and capacity building, and humanitarian issues.”
The two countries are also discussing regional and international matters, such as the revival of SAARC and the resolution of the Palestine and Rohingya issues, and both sides agreed to work on further strengthening their bilateral relationship. The Foreign Office’s statement noted that the “talks took place in a constructive atmosphere, reflecting the existing goodwill and cordiality between the two countries.”
This meeting took place as Foreign Minister Dar arrived in Dhaka on Saturday, marking the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in 13 years. His two-day visit, at the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, will include a meeting with the country’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus.
This development occurs against the backdrop of a warming relationship between Islamabad and Dhaka since the ouster of former Prime Minister Hasina, who fled to India after a massive student-led uprising. Since then, Pakistan and Bangladesh resumed sea trade last year and expanded government-to-government commerce in February. Concurrently, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also had several interactions with Bangladesh’s Yunus.
Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Minister Dar, accompanied by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, held a breakfast meeting with Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin and other key Bangladeshi officials. During their discussion, both sides explored ways to enhance economic and commercial cooperation, with a particular focus on boosting trade and connectivity. According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Pakistan and Bangladesh signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on Saturday, including an agreement on a visa waiver for diplomats and government officials.
