Bangladesh-Pakistan foreign ministers hold high-level talks in Dhaka
Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed high-level diplomatic engagement today as Foreign Minister Touhid Hossain hosted Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for bilateral talks in Dhaka.
The meeting, held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, marks a significant step in efforts to rebuild strained ties between the two South Asian neighbors.
The two ministers began the day with a private one-on-one conversation before leading their respective delegations into a full-format dialogue. Dar, who is accompanied by Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, will also call on Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, later in the day. In the evening, the Pakistani delegation is expected to meet BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, underscoring the political significance of the visit.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, the agenda includes the entire spectrum of bilateral relations—from trade and investment to cultural exchanges—as well as broader regional and international issues such as connectivity, energy cooperation, and challenges facing the Muslim world.
Both countries are set to formalize their cooperation through the signing of five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and one agreement. The MoUs will cover:
- Visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and official passports
- Formation of a joint working group on trade and commerce to expand bilateral economic opportunities
- Media cooperation between Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP)
- Collaboration between foreign service academies of the two countries to enhance diplomatic training
- Cultural and academic exchanges to promote people-to-people contacts
Diplomatic sources say the agreements aim to strengthen ties in trade, media, education, and travel, while also signaling a willingness from both Dhaka and Islamabad to move past decades of mistrust.
The last visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh took place in November 2012, when then-Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar came to Dhaka to invite Sheikh Hasina to the D-8 Summit in Islamabad. Relations deteriorated sharply the following year after Pakistan condemned Bangladesh’s execution of Abdul Quader Mollah, a senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader convicted for atrocities committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
However, relations have shown signs of thawing since Bangladesh’s political transition last year, with both sides expressing interest in normalizing ties.
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