Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday met Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during his landmark visit to Dhaka during which the latter stressed the need to revitalise regional cooperation through South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).
Ever since a popular uprising in Bangladesh saw Sheikh Hasina’s government toppled in August of last year, there has been a thaw in ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement.
According to a post on X by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar called on Yunus and apprised him of the developments during his trip. The pair discussed “recent developments in the region and the prospects of regional cooperation”.
“The discussion covered revival of old connections between the two countries, promoting youth linkages, enhancing connectivity, and augmenting trade and economic cooperation,” the FO wrote.
According to a statement issued by Yunus’s office, the Bangladesh chief adviser during the meeting highlighted the importance of revitalising all potential avenues of regional and bilateral cooperation, urging progress in bilateral trade and emphasising the role of people-to-people connections -particularly among youth.
“I encourage SAARC, and I see our relationship with Pakistan and other SAARC countries as one of the highest priorities,” he said.
Later in the day, Dar called on Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson and ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia, according to an FO statement.
The Deputy PM conveyed Pakistan’s well-wishes and lauded Zia’s services as premier, also enquiring about her health.
Earlier, Pakistan and Bangladesh signed six agreements in various areas of cooperation following delegation-level talks between Dar and Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain.
Both leaders oversaw the signing of “six instruments”, FO Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement.
These included an agreement on visa abolition for diplomatic and official passport holders, as well as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a Joint Working Group on trade.
According to Bangladesh’s The Daily Star, Dar and Hossain first held a brief one-to-one discussion before leading their respective delegations in a formal meeting at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
During their wide-ranging talks, both sides reviewed the “entire gamut of bilateral relations”, the FO said on X.
“The talks took place in a constructive atmosphere, reflecting the existing goodwill and cordiality between [the] two countries. Both sides agreed to work for further strengthening of bilateral relations,” the FO noted. Hossain also hosted a lunch in Dar’s honour.
Matters discussed included “high-level exchanges, trade and economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts, cultural exchanges, cooperation on education and capacity building, and humanitarian issues”.
Regional and international issues, including rejuvenation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and resolution of Palestine and the Rohingya issues, were also discussed.
Separately, Pakistan launched “Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor”, a project which envisages the grant of 500 scholarships to Bangladeshi students for pursuing higher studies in Pakistan during the next five years.
Continuing his series of meetings with Bangladeshi politicians, Dar met Jamaat-i-Islami emir Dr Shafiqur Rahman at his residence.
In the morning, Dar and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan had a breakfast meeting with Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin, who was accompanied by various finance and trade officials, the FO said on X.
“The two sides discussed ways to promote economic and commercial cooperation, with a special focus on enhancing trade and promoting connectivity,” the post said.