Bangladesh, Pakistan seek stronger ties

Bangladesh and Pakistan reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen bilateral ties for the mutual benefit of their peoples. 

Foreign Affairs Adviser of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar emphasised this during a bilateral meeting held in Dhaka in the morning today, while they led their respective delegations. 

In the afternoon, Dar called on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and conveyed the warm greetings of the prime minister of Pakistan. 

Ishaq Dar is on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh from 23 to 24 August at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart.

The bilateral meeting took place in a spirit of warmth and goodwill, reflecting the brotherly relations between the two countries and their shared desire to augmenting engagement and cooperation, said a press release by the Bangladesh foreign ministry.

Touhid emphasised deepening collaborative bilateral relations founded on mutual respect, understanding, and shared interests.

During the meeting, both sides engaged in a candid and constructive discussion on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest and affirmed their mutual commitment to enhancing cooperation in all potential areas including trade, investment, agriculture, education, health, energy, connectivity, people-to-people contact, culture, tourism and disaster management. 

The Bangladesh side underscored the importance of unlocking the untapped potential across all sectors. 

They recognised the importance of regular diplomatic and sectoral engagements in this regard.

The adviser underscored the importance of enhancing economic and commercial engagement to fully leverage each other's complementarities. 

He emphasised the role of the private sectors of both countries in this regard. 

The two sides expressed satisfaction that significant progress has been made in simplifying visa processes, improving maritime connectivity and to resume air connectivity.

Ishaq Dar informed that Pakistan is in the process of launching the 'Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor,' under which 500 scholarships will be awarded to Bangladeshi students for higher studies in Pakistan over the next five years. One-quarter of these scholarships will be awarded in the field of medicine. 

He has also conveyed Pakistan's readiness to provide advanced medical treatment, including limb replacement for 40 individuals including students injured during the July Uprising in Bangladesh. 

Pakistan has offered to train the hockey team from Bangladesh.

They also expressed hope that stronger bilateral relations would contribute positively to peace, stability, and prosperity in South Asia and beyond. 

They exchanged views on regional and international matters of mutual interest and concern. 

Referring to the eighth anniversary of the "Rohingya Genocide" and their forced displacement from decades of persecution, human rights violations, and genocidal atrocities in their homeland, Myanmar, Bangladesh requested continued support from Pakistan in the pursuit of early safe, voluntary and dignified return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar. 

Both sides also strongly condemned the ongoing genocidal atrocities, grave human rights violations and starvation campaign committed by the Israeli Occupying Forces against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and west bank and called upon the international community to act urgently to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. 

They called for holding Israel accountable for its war crimes. 

Both sides stressed the establishment of a viable, sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of its 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Both sides reiterated the importance of strengthening cooperation in SAARC, OIC, the United Nations, and other multilateral forums to promote the shared objectives for peace and development.

Regarding the long outstanding historic issues including a formal official apology for the genocide committed by Pakistan in 1971, division of assets, transfer of foreign aid that was meant for the cyclone victims of 1970, repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, Bangladesh called for their early resolution in order to establish a solid foundation for enduring and forward-looking bilateral relations.

The meeting concluded on a positive note, expressing hope for deepened engagement and stronger bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

Pakistan's foreign minister extended an invitation to the foreign adviser to visit Islamabad.

The bilateral meeting was followed by a signing ceremony in their presence. 

The advisers on Home Affairs, Commerce, and Information of Bangladesh and Pakistan's Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, who is on an official visit to Bangladesh, were also present during signing. 

One Agreement on the Abolition of Visa for Diplomatic and Official Passport holders, one Cultural Exchange Programme and four MoUs on cooperation on Trade, between News Agencies, Foreign Service Academies and Think Tanks of two countries, were signed.