By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar landed in Dhaka on Saturday for a two-day visit, the first by a Pakistani foreign minister in 13 years, as Islamabad and Dhaka seize a rare moment to rebuild ties strained since Bangladesh’s 1971 independence.
The trip, at the invitation of Bangladesh’s interim government, follows a political upheaval that saw Sheikh Hasina’s government toppled in a popular uprising in August 2024. Her ouster, after years of perceived alignment with India and criticism of Pakistan, has opened a window for renewed engagement, with trade and diplomacy gaining momentum.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office hailed Dar’s visit as a “landmark” event, noting he was received at Dhaka’s airport by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, Pakistan’s High Commissioner Imran Haider, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Muhammad Iqbal Khan, and other officials.
On Sunday, Dar is set to hold talks with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, and Commerce Adviser SK Bashir Uddin. “Discussions will encompass the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, including regional and international issues of mutual interest,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
A senior Bangladeshi foreign ministry official told the state-run BSS news agency that four to five memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed, bolstering ties in trade, culture, media, training, and travel.
The visit marks a significant step in a relationship that has seen cautious but steady progress since Hasina’s fall. In April, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch held the first Foreign Office Consultations in Dhaka in 15 years, described as “constructive and forward-looking.” Those talks spanned political, economic, trade, agricultural, education, and defense ties, alongside efforts to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Further momentum came last month when Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Dhaka, securing visa-free entry for diplomatic and official passport holders from both sides. Trade has also picked up, with Bangladesh importing 50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan in February and Pakistan’s Fly Jinnah airline gaining approval for Karachi-Dhaka flights.
Dar’s trip follows a visit by Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, who is in Dhaka until August 24 to strengthen trade ties. Kamal’s discussions with Bangladeshi officials focused on agriculture and food security to boost crop yields, Pakistan’s commerce ministry said. The two nations are also forming a joint working group to deepen economic cooperation.
The Foreign Office underscored the visit’s weight, posting on X that Dar had embarked on a “historic visit to Bangladesh” from Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase. “The visit is a significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations,” it said, noting the 13-year gap since Hina Rabbani Khar’s brief 2012 trip to invite Hasina to a summit in Islamabad.
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