Pakistan, Bangladesh Sign Key MoUs

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar concluded a two-day official visit to Dhaka on August 23–24, marking the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in nearly 13 years.

Invited by the Government of Bangladesh, Mr Dar held wide-ranging talks with Adviser for Foreign Affairs Md. Touhid Hossain and called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. He also met Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, as well as delegations from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party (NCP).

According to the Foreign Office, discussions covered the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade and economic cooperation, cultural and educational exchanges, people-to-people contacts, capacity building, and humanitarian issues. Regional matters such as Gaza, the Rohingya crisis and revival of SAARC were also taken up.

The visit witnessed the signing of several agreements and MoUs, including: abolition of visas for diplomatic and official passport holders, establishment of a joint working group on trade, cooperation between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, institutional linkages between the foreign service academies of the two countries, a media cooperation MoU between APP and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, and a new cultural exchange programme.

Mr Dar also launched the ‘Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor,’ offering 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students over the next five years, in addition to training courses for 100 civil servants. He announced that scholarships under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme would be increased from five to 25.

Talks were described as cordial, reflecting a shared resolve to revitalise bilateral engagement. Both sides stressed regular institutional dialogue, early finalisation of pending agreements and enhanced cooperation in trade, education, connectivity and cultural exchanges. They noted with appreciation recent performances by Pakistani artists in Dhaka and reciprocal visits of cricket teams.

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The deputy prime minister also conveyed Pakistan’s readiness to assist in the rehabilitation of Bangladeshi students injured during last year’s protests. During his meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, discussions focused on reviving old connections, youth linkages, economic cooperation and regional integration.

Mr Dar also met BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rehman, conveying good wishes for their health and recovery. He emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to building a forward-looking, brotherly relationship with Bangladesh based on mutual respect and benefit.