Pak foreign minister to visit Bangladesh on Saturday

Islamabad, Aug 22 (PTI) Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday confirmed that he would visit Bangladesh on Saturday amid improvement in ties between the two nations after years of estrangement.

Dar told the media here that he was ready to fly to Dhaka on a two-day visit to “bring Pakistan and Bangladesh closer”.

Separately, the Foreign Office said in a statement that Dar will pay an official visit to Bangladesh on August 23 and 24 at the invitation of Dhaka.

He will hold meetings with various leaders, including Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Adviser for Foreign Affairs Md. Touhid Hossain, the Foreign Office said.

“The whole range of bilateral relations and a number of regional and international issues will be discussed during these meetings,” it added.

Dar was set to visit Bangladesh in April but it was delayed due to tensions with India after the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

The visit comes in the wake of a marked improvement in ties after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government last year.

The two sides have interacted at multiple levels, including trade, defence and politics since the formation of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

As Dar prepares to fly to Dhaka, a high-level Bangladeshi defence official is visiting Pakistan while Pakistan Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan is in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Army said that Lieutenant General Md Faizur Rahman on Friday called on General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

“During the meeting, both sides discussed the prevailing security environment in the region and laid emphasis on shared resolve for enhancing existing cooperation in the defence and security domain,” it said.

Meanwhile, Radio Pakistan reported that Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to promote bilateral trade and industrial development through collaborative efforts.

The consensus to this effect was reached during a meeting between Commerce Minister Khan and Bangladesh's Adviser for Industries Adilur Rahman Khan in Dhaka on Friday.

Earlier, during his visit to Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the minister urged Bangladeshi traders to import cement, sugar, footwear, and leather products from Pakistan.

Last month, the two countries agreed to grant visa-free entry to holders of diplomatic and official passports from the other side.

The deal was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

In April, Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka for consultations after a 15-year break in diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh.

In February, both countries started direct government-to-government trade with imports of 50,000 tonnes of rice.

Direct private trade between the countries restarted in November 2024 when a container ship sailed from Karachi to Chittagong. PTI SH GSP GSP