DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladesh and Pakistan have pledged to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation across trade, education, health, connectivity, and culture, during talks between Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain in Dhaka on Sunday.
In the afternoon, Dar called on the Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus and conveyed the warm greetings of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in an official statement.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister was on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh from August 23 to 24 at the invitation of his Bangladeshi government.
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 augment engagement and cooperation, according to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Affairs Advisor of Bangladesh emphasised the importance of 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.
#Bangladesh and #Pakistan seek stronger ties. #BangladeshForeignAdviser and #PakistanDPMandFM, in a #BilateralMeeting in #Dhaka, reaffirmed commitment for deepening cooperation. Bangladesh 🇧🇩 and Pakistan 🇵🇰 signed 6 bilateral instruments today. pic.twitter.com/gIAhSOsgVt
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@BDMOFA) August 24, 2025
The statement added that the Foreign Affairs Advisor underscored the importance of enhancing economic and commercial engagement to fully leverage each other’s complementarities. He emphasised the important 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 resuming air connectivity.
Pakistan-Bangladesh knowledge corridor
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister 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.
It said the two sides 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.
Rohingya Genocide
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 its pursuit of early, safe, voluntary, and dignified return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Situation in Gaza
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 the 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.
Strengthening cooperation
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.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, expressing hope for deepened engagement and stronger bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan extended an invitation to the Foreign Affairs Advisor of Bangladesh to visit Islamabad.
The bilateral meeting was followed by a signing ceremony in the presence of the Foreign Affairs Advisor and the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Advisor 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 the signing.
Agreements on the abolition of visas for diplomatic and official passport holders, a cultural exchange programme, and four MoUs on cooperation on trade, between news agencies, foreign service academies, and think tanks of the two countries, were signed.
