Dar, Yunus discuss revival of old ties, boosting trade and economic cooperation

Pakistan & Bangladesh sign six agreements in various areas of cooperation: FO

Staff Report

DHAKA: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday met Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during his landmark visit to Dhaka.

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.

The Foreign Office has termed Dar’s two-day visit — the first by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in 13 years — a “significant milestone” in the two countries’ relations.

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.

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.

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.

The delegation is expected to meet ex-prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia this evening, The Daily Star reported.

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.

“A quarter of these scholarships will be awarded in the field of medicine. Additionally, training for 100 Bangladeshi civil servants will be arranged during the same period,” the FO said in a statement.

Pakistan will also increase the scholarships allocated to Bangladeshi students under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme from five to 25.

Continuing his series of meetings with Bangladeshi politicians, Dar met Jamaat-i-Islami emir Dr Shafiqur Rahman at his residence.

The deputy premier, on his and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s behalf, conveyed his best wishes for good health to Rahman, who is recovering after a cardiac surgery.

Dar also appreciated Rahman’s “life-long positive contribution in the fields of politics, education and social welfare”, the FO said.