Pakistani FM Dar to visit Dhaka on 23 August as ties with Bangladesh warm
Since the political shift in Dhaka, the two countries have taken steps to rebuild ties
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will arrive in Dhaka on 23 August, in a visit that comes amid rapidly improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Dar confirmed the visit to Dawn yesterday (12 August), saying simply "Yes," when asked about reports of the trip.
Bangladeshi media reported last week that he is scheduled to meet Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on 24 August, alongside other official engagements, to "discuss ways to strengthen coordination with Bangladesh."
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The visit was originally planned for April, but postponed.
It follows a notable thaw in relations since August last year, after a mass uprising toppled the government of Sheikh Hasina, who later fled to India. For decades after Bangladesh's independence in 1971, following a bloody war of separation from what was then West Pakistan, Dhaka had kept Islamabad at a diplomatic distance, maintaining closer ties with New Delhi.
Since the political shift in Dhaka, the two countries have taken steps to rebuild ties. Last month, Pakistan and Bangladesh agreed in principle to grant visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports, following talks between Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh's Home Minister Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
In April, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka for Foreign Office Consultations, the first in 15 years.
In March, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus, with both reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
Trade links have also been revived. In February, the two countries began direct government-to-government trade for the first time in decades, starting with imports of 50,000 tonnes of rice.
In November 2024, direct private trade resumed when a container ship sailed from Karachi to Chattogram, the first such voyage in decades.
Military cooperation has also been discussed. In January, the armed forces of both nations stressed the importance of an "enduring partnership" resilient against external influences.
During a meeting with PM Shehbaz on the sidelines of the D-8 summit in Cairo last December, Yunus reportedly told him, "The issues have kept coming again and again. Let's settle those issues for us to move forward," according to AFP, quoting a statement from his office.
