Top HeadlinesNATIONAL

August 24, 2025

Dar’s landmark Dhaka visit heralds ‘new phase’ in Pakistan–Bangladesh ties after 13 Years

S

Staff Report

4 views

Dar’s landmark Dhaka visit heralds ‘new phase’ in Pakistan–Bangladesh ties after 13 Years
  • Deputy PM strikes a conciliatory and forward-looking tone, stressing Pakistan’s ‘sincere intent’ to build ties free from external pressures
  • We want to forge a relationship based on mutual respect, free from external pressures, and driven by the needs of our people: Dar
  • Underscores working together to create an environment where youth from Karachi to Chittagong, Quetta to Rajshahi, Peshawar to Sylhet and Lahore to Dhaka join hands to face global challenges and realise their shared dreams
  • Dar presses for revival of Saarc, calls South Asia ‘home to a quarter of humanity’
  • Held wide-ranging political engagements in Dhaka, meeting delegations of NCP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP
  • MoUs on trade, culture, media, and connectivity likely during two-day trip
  DHAKA/ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday declared that Pakistan and Bangladesh were entering a “new phase of reinvigorated partnership” as he began a landmark two-day trip to Dhaka—the first by a Pakistani foreign minister in 13 years. Arriving on the invitation of the Bangladeshi government, Dar was received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Foreign Secretary Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Bangladesh’s envoy to Islamabad Muhammad Iqbal Khan, and senior officials.   The Foreign Office said the deputy premier’s engagements would cover the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation and include meetings with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Adviser for Foreign Affairs Md Touhid Hossain, and Adviser for Commerce SK Bashir Uddin. Addressing a press conference at Pakistan’s High Commission later in the day, Dar struck a conciliatory and forward-looking tone, stressing Pakistan’s “sincere intent” to overcome historical baggage and build cooperative ties. “Our hearts are open, and our intent is most sincere. We want to forge a relationship based on mutual respect, free from external pressures, and driven by the needs of our people,” he said. He added, “We must work together to create an environment where youth from Karachi to Chittagong, Quetta to Rajshahi, Peshawar to Sylhet and Lahore to Dhaka join hands to face global challenges and realise their shared dreams.” MoUs Expected, Economic Links Growing According to senior Bangladeshi officials, the visit is expected to yield four to five memorandums of understanding in areas including trade, culture, media collaboration, professional training, and travel connectivity. The agreements would build on recent progress in bilateral ties, including Pakistan’s import of 50,000 tonnes of rice under direct government-to-government trade launched in February. The approval was granted to Pakistan’s private airline Fly Jinnah to begin Karachi–Dhaka operations. An agreement in July between both governments to allow visa-free entry for diplomatic and official passport holders. The revival of institutional dialogues, with Pakistan’s foreign secretary Amna Baloch visiting Dhaka in April after a 15-year gap. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s July visit, where the two sides pledged to expand security and interior cooperation. Dar said these developments reflected “new energy and fresh enthusiasm” in the relationship, describing Pakistan and Bangladesh as “two vibrant and resilient nations with centuries of shared traditions, Islamic heritage, social norms, linguistic connections and literary expressions.” Meetings Across the Spectrum In addition to official talks, Dar held wide-ranging political engagements in Dhaka on Saturday. He met delegations of the National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). According to the Foreign Office, discussions covered political mobilisation, regional dynamics, cultural exchanges, and the role of youth in reform and cooperation. Dar lauded the “steadfastness” of Bangladeshi political activists in the face of adversity and stressed the need for greater contact between the younger generations of both countries. Saarc and Regional Outlook Dar also underscored the importance of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), recalling Bangladesh’s central role in its conception. “South Asia, home to nearly a quarter of humanity, cannot afford to lag behind in regional cooperation and integration,” he said, adding that Pakistan hoped Saarc could be “reinvigorated” to shorten distances and rebuild trust.   Analysts note that Dhaka’s foreign policy in recent years has been heavily weighted toward New Delhi, making Islamabad’s diplomatic re-engagement particularly significant. Dar emphasised that Pakistan wanted a relationship insulated from external pressures and grounded in “what unites us rather than what divides us.” Symbolism and Timing Diplomatic observers say Dar’s visit marks the most substantive re-engagement between Islamabad and Dhaka in more than a decade. The last visit by a Pakistani foreign minister was Hina Rabbani Khar’s six-hour stopover in November 2012, when she formally invited then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a Saarc summit in Islamabad. This time, however, the scale is broader and more substantive: not only is Dar’s trip spread over two days with multiple political and official engagements, but it also comes amid an upswing in trade diplomacy and direct government-to-government cooperation between the two countries. The visit follows last month’s tour of Dhaka by Pakistan’s commerce minister Jam Kamal Khan, during which a joint working group on trade was announced. Both countries are exploring expanded textile cooperation, easier banking channels, and academic partnerships. ‘A Fraternal Sentiment’ In his public remarks, Dar repeatedly stressed that Islamabad respected Dhaka’s sovereign choices and wanted a relationship rooted in fraternity. “Notwithstanding the twists and turns of history, the people of Pakistan have fraternal sentiments towards the people of Bangladesh and hold them in the highest esteem,” he said. He added that the ties were “not only political but also grounded in cultural, spiritual and familial bonds woven into the very fabric of our two societies.” As his engagements continue on Sunday, Dar is expected to push for mechanisms to institutionalise cooperation across economic, educational, and cultural spheres. Both sides have signaled optimism that the visit will help transform ties long constrained by history into a forward-looking partnership.
Share:

Related Articles