Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday to review bilateral relations.
During the meeting, as per the Foreign Office, the two leaders discussed issues including strengthening bilateral ties, revival of historical connections between the two countries, promoting youth linkages, enhancing regional connectivity, and boosting trade and economic cooperation.
Both leaders also discussed recent regional developments and prospects for broader regional collaboration.
Dar conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Bangladesh interim leader and briefed him on his engagements in Dhaka, along with the outcomes of his visit.
He expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements extended by the Bangladeshi side during the visit.
As part of his engagements with local leadership, DPM Dar met Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia at her residence.
In view of Begum Zia’s prolonged indisposition, the DPM expressed his best wishes for her speedy recovery and well-being.
He also conveyed to Begum Sahibah the greetings from PM Shehbaz and lauded her services to Bangladesh as the premier.
Dar also met Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain to review the full gamut of bilateral relations.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed “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, including the rejuvenation of SAARC and the resolution of the Palestine and the Rohingya issue, and both sides agreed to work for further strengthening of bilateral relations.
“The talks took place in a constructive atmosphere, reflecting the existing goodwill and cordiality between the two countries,” the FO statement said.
The meeting comes as FM Dar reached Dhaka on Saturday marking the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to the country in 13 years.
His two-day visit comes in response to the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and will see the Pakistani dignitary meeting the country’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The development is to be taken against the backdrop of warming ties between Islamabad and Dhaka ever since the ouster of PM Hasina — who fled to India — after a mass student-led uprising.
Since then, Pakistan and Bangladesh began sea trade last year, expanding government-to-government commerce in February. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also held several interactions with Bangladesh’s Yunus.
Earlier today, FM Dar, accompanied by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, held a breakfast meeting with Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, who was flanked by several other key Bangladeshi officials.
During the huddle, both sides discussed ways to promote economic and commercial cooperation, with a special focus on enhancing trade and promoting connectivity.
Meanwhile, following the delegation-level talks, FM Dar and Bangladesh’s Touheed oversaw the signing of six instruments between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The list includes on visa abolition for diplomatic and official passport holders, memorandum of understandin (MoU) on Joint Working Group on Trade, MoU between Foreign Service Academies of Pakistans and Bangladesh, MoU between Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, MoU between Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, and Cultural Exchange Programme.
“These agreements will institutionalise and further strengthen the bilateral cooperation in trade and economics, training of diplomats, academic exchanges, media cooperation, and cultural exchanges,” the FO said.
Furthermore, coinciding with the visit, Islamabad also launched the “Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor.”
The project envisages the grant of 500 scholarships to Bangladeshi students for pursuing higher studies in Pakistan during the next five years.
A quarter of these scholarships will be awarded in the field of medicine. Additionally, training for 100 Bangladeshi civil servants will be arranged during the same period.
Additionally, Islamabad has also decided to increase the scholarships allocated to Bangladeshi students under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Program from five to 25.
Separately, FM Dar also met Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Bangladesh’s Emir Shafiqur Rahman, the party that has faced persecution by former PM Hasina’s government.
During the meeting, both leaders stressed further bolstering the relations between the two countries.
