DHAKA: Pakistan and Bangladesh on Sunday reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, as Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Senator Ishaq Dar held wide-ranging talks with Bangladeshi leadership during his two-day official visit to Dhaka.
Senator Dar led the Pakistani delegation, held a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. Later, he called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The discussions were held in a spirit of warmth and goodwill, reflecting the brotherly ties between the two nations. Both sides agreed to enhance engagement in trade, investment, agriculture, education, health, energy, connectivity, tourism, and disaster management, while stressing the importance of people-to-people contacts.
Foreign Minister Dar announced the launch of a “Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor,” under which 500 scholarships will be awarded to Bangladeshi students for higher studies in Pakistan over the next five years, with one-fourth dedicated to medical studies. He also offered advanced medical treatment, including limb replacement for 40 students injured during the July uprising in Bangladesh, and proposed training facilities for Bangladesh’s hockey team.
Both sides welcomed the recent progress in simplifying visa procedures and improving maritime connectivity, with plans to resume direct air links.
Meanwhile, following the delegation-level talks, FM Dar and Bangladesh’s Touhid oversaw the signing of six instruments between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The list includes visa abolition for diplomatic and official passport holders, memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Joint Working Group on Trade, MoU between Foreign Service Academies of Pakistan 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, Cultural Exchange Programme. Under the agreement, 100 Bangladeshi civil servants will be offered training courses.
“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.
The ceremony was also attended by the advisers on Home Affairs, Commerce and Information of Bangladesh, alongside Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan.
The two sides exchanged views on key international issues. Bangladesh requested Pakistan’s continued support for the safe and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Both countries strongly condemned Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, calling for an urgent permanent ceasefire and the establishment of a viable Palestinian state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
They also reaffirmed cooperation in multilateral forums including SAARC, OIC, and the United Nations.
Both sides agreed to work towards an enduring and forward-looking partnership despite outstanding historical issues.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with Senator Dar extending an invitation to Touhid Hossain to visit Islamabad.
However, the Bangladeshi ministry of foreign affairs stated in a press release, “The long outstanding historic issues including a formal official apology for the genocide committed by Pakistan in 1971, division of assets, transfer of foreign aid that was meant for the cyclone victims of 1970, repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, Bangladesh called for their early resolution in order to establish a solid foundation for enduring and forward-looking bilateral relations.”
Earlier on Sunday, 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.
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.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPM Ishaq Dar met Chairperson Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Begum Khaleda Zia, at her residence. In view of Begum Zia’s prolonged indisposition, the DPM/FM expressed his best wishes for her speedy recovery and well-being. He also conveyed to Begum Sahiba greetings from the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He lauded her services to Bangladesh as prime minister of the country. The memories of Begum Sahiba’s visit to Pakistan in 2006 were also recalled.
Separately, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy PM/Foreign Minister would attend an extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He will undertake an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from August 25 to 26, 2025 to participate in the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Jeddah. The DPM/FM will travel directly from Dhaka, upon completion of his two-day visit to Bangladesh, to attend the high-level meeting.
The high-level meeting will bring together foreign ministers and senior officials from OIC member states to deliberate upon coordinated responses to the escalating developments in Palestine, resulting from ongoing Israeli military aggression, its proposed plans for full military control over Gaza and the continued egregious violations of Palestinians’ rights.
As a steadfast advocate for the Palestinian cause, Pakistan consistently highlights the issue at the international fora. During the forthcoming Extraordinary OIC-CFM session, the Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister will reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for Palestine and reiterate its principled stance.
The DPM/FM will advocate for total withdrawal of Israel from all the Occupied Palestinian Territories; reject the outrageous Israeli plan for extending full military control over Gaza and further displacement of Palestinians; emphasize the urgent need of unhindered humanitarian assistance; and call for the restoration of legitimate rights of the Palestinian people — most notably, the establishment of an independent, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital.
On the sidelines of OIC-CFM, the Deputy Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from key OIC member states.