During a visit by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Bangladesh, a bilateral agreement and five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed. The signing ceremony took place at the Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka, with Dar and Bangladesh’s Foreign Advisor Mohammad Touhid Hossain in attendance. The discussions prior to the signing focused on strengthening trade relations and boosting investments between the two nations. The current annual trade volume between Bangladesh and Pakistan is less than $1 billion, with both sides agreeing to accelerate its growth in the coming years. Bangladesh was represented by Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain, while Pakistan was represented by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The agreements include a visa waiver for official and diplomatic passport holders, the establishment of a Joint Action Committee on trade, cooperation between the foreign service academies, collaboration between the national news agencies Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APPC), and an institutional partnership between the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). Additionally, a cultural exchange program was signed to promote people-to-people connections. The visit marks a step toward closer ties between the two countries in the coming years.
Foreign Minister Dar arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on a two-day official visit. He met with leaders from various political parties and is scheduled to meet with Mohammad Yunus. The visit occurs during a period when the interim government has only a few months remaining, with the expectation of strengthening relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
