ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan has said that Mahan Air is expected to launch three weekly flights between Karachi and Dhaka starting next month—a development that will significantly enhance connectivity and boost trade.
Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), the high commissioner noted that the visa process has been streamlined, with visas now issued on the joint recommendation of LCCI and the Bangladesh Honorary Consulate in Lahore.
“Members will receive visas within three to four days, making travel between the two countries faster and more convenient,” he said.
Rice export to Bangladesh
Highlighting trade prospects, the envoy suggested that Pakistan could export rice to Bangladesh, while Bangladesh could supply fresh pineapples. He also underscored the strong potential for expanding trade in textiles and readymade garments.
He noted that a direct cargo shipping service would be launched soon. Although a cargo route has been operating between the two countries since last December, growing trade volumes now necessitate a dedicated direct service.
More Bangladeshi students to study in Pakistan
In the education sector, the high commissioner encouraged deeper collaboration. He shared that Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission will soon send a delegation to Bangladesh, including representatives from 12 universities, to attract more Bangladeshi students to study in Pakistan.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s tourism industry as an area with significant potential and emphasized the cultural, historical, and social ties between the two nations, describing them as closely linked and united like one community.
Speaking at the meeting, LCCI President Faheemur Rehman Saigol shed light on the historical and cultural ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh, saying that the two countries share a common heritage.
He emphasised that Pakistan could increase rice exports to Bangladesh and seek its guidance in the garments sector. He noted that both nations had opportunities to collaborate in IT, automobile and other industries.
Bilateral trade stands at around $700 million
LCCI President said currently, bilateral trade stands at around $700 million, though it has the potential to reach $3 billion in the coming years.
Saigol noted that the launch of direct flights would further strengthen trade ties and assured the Bangladesh High Commission of LCCI’s full support in this effort.
He responded positively to the high commissioner’s invitation to lead a delegation to Bangladesh and confirmed that an LCCI delegation would visit Dhaka soon.
Earlier this month, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) inked a cargo interline special arrangement with Biman Bangladesh Airlines to strengthen bilateral trade and smoother air cargo movement.
Pakistan’s Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, informed the National Assembly in November that Pakistan and Bangladesh are working to resume flight operations in a bid to boost trade, tourism, and medical travel between the two countries.
Ties between the two countries have improved since the fall of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration, which was seen as closely aligned with India and critical of Pakistan. This shift occurred following the student-led uprising in August 2024.
Pakistan has sought to strengthen its relations with Bangladesh in recent months, particularly as tensions remain between Dhaka and New Delhi, following India’s decision to offer asylum to Hasina after she fled Bangladesh.
