ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke over the phone with Advisor for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, Md. Touhid Hossain.
According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday, the two leaders reviewed bilateral matters and discussed recent regional developments.
“They also appreciated the timely convening of the Extraordinary Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers, on 10 January 2026 in Jeddah,” it said.
DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 spoke with Adviser for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, Md. Touhid Hossain last night.
The two counterparts reviewed bilateral matters and discussed recent regional developments. They also appreciated the timely convening of the… pic.twitter.com/ZmVnF8yOyD
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 8, 2026
Diplomatic ties between the two nations have strengthened in recent months. Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh had been strained during the rule of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
However, following her exile after a popular revolt, ties have improved markedly. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq traveled to Dhaka for the funeral of Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, in December.
In August 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also visited Dhaka and met Yunus.
OIC session
It may be recalled that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called an extraordinary meeting of its foreign ministers to deliberate on rapidly escalating and dangerous developments in Somalia.
The meeting at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah comes in the wake of recent developments, including Israel’s recognition of the so-called “Somaliland” as an independent state, a step seen as violating Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Israel, on December 25, formally recognised Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state” and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations, as the region’s leader welcomed what he described as its first official recognition.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has for decades pushed for international recognition, the key priority for President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi since he took office last year.
