Pakistan and Bangladesh on Sunday signed six agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation during ministerial-level talks held in Dhaka.
The agreements were finalized during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who led the Pakistani delegation in the discussions, while Foreign Adviser Touhid Hussain headed the Bangladeshi side.
The two countries signed a series of accords covering different areas of cooperation. Among them were agreements for holders of diplomatic and official passports, collaboration between foreign services academies, and an MoU between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the Bangladesh Strategic Studies Institute. Additionally, an important agreement was reached to establish a joint working group dedicated to trade promotion, reflecting both sides’ commitment to enhancing economic ties.
The talks were attended by senior officials, including Additional Foreign Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Pakistani High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Muhand Iqbal Hussain Khan. Their participation underlined the significance of these discussions for the future of bilateral relations.
Earlier, Ishaq Dar and Bangladeshi Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain held wide-ranging talks, reviewing the full spectrum of relations between the two countries. They discussed high-level exchanges, trade and economic cooperation, cultural ties, people-to-people contacts, and collaboration in education and capacity building.
Humanitarian issues were also brought into focus, along with broader regional and international matters. Both sides expressed their views on the importance of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and deliberated on pressing global concerns, including the situations in Palestine and regarding the Rohingya community.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the talks were conducted in a constructive atmosphere and reflected the goodwill and cordiality that exists between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Both sides reiterated their determination to further strengthen bilateral relations.
During his stay, Ishaq Dar also met Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin over breakfast, with Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan present as well. The discussions focused on avenues to increase trade and connectivity between the two countries.
In addition, Dar interacted with a wide range of Bangladeshi personalities, including government advisers, political leaders, bureaucrats, intellectuals, academics, think tank members, journalists, retired military officials, athletes, artists, and others.
Speaking at these interactions, Dar highlighted the strong bonds of brotherhood felt by the people of Pakistan towards the people of Bangladesh and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to building stronger, mutually beneficial ties.
