First Bangladesh-Pakistan JEC meeting in 20 years tomorrow
Bangladesh and Pakistan will hold the ninth session of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) tomorrow, marking the first such meeting between the two countries in two decades.
Economic Affairs Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed will lead the Bangladeshi delegation, while Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik will head the visiting side, diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Islamabad confirmed.
Officials from both nations said discussions are expected to focus on enhancing trade, investment, and development partnerships, with several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) under consideration in areas such as agricultural research, Halal certification, information technology, and shipping.
Trade imbalance is expected to be a major agenda item. In the fiscal year 2024–25, Bangladesh imported goods worth $787 million from Pakistan but exported only $80 million. Dhaka is likely to seek greater duty- and quota-free access for its products in the Pakistani market to address the widening gap.
Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik is also scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain during his visit.
The upcoming JEC follows a series of diplomatic engagements that have taken place over the past year. In August 2024, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi all visited Dhaka. Earlier, Bangladesh’s Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain paid an official visit to Islamabad, signaling warming ties between the two nations.
After nearly 15 years, the two countries also resumed their foreign office consultations earlier this year — a move that paved the way for tomorrow’s economic dialogue.
Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain said Bangladesh seeks a “normal and forward-looking relationship” with Pakistan, particularly in trade and investment. “It is in our national interest to build stable economic relations with Pakistan, and we believe both sides are now moving in that direction,” he told reporters last week.
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