ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Dhaka on August 23 to discuss ways to strengthen ties with Bangladeshi leadership.
According to media reports, Dar will meet Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on August 24, in addition to his other engagements.
Last year, Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh was overthrown after deadly protests.
The deposed leader fled to India, her longtime ally. Since then, Pakistan and Bangladesh have taken steps to improve their relationship.
Last month, Ishaq Dar had met with Md. Touhid Hossain, on the sidelines of the International conference on the Two-State Solution in the UN, their 4th meeting since October 2024.
“The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties, reaffirmed commitment to deepen political, economic, and cultural cooperation, as well as boost connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
Both agreed to undertake high-level visits in the near future,” the Foreign Office statement added.
This development follows a series of diplomatic and strategic engagements aimed at rebuilding ties between the two nations.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and Bangladesh in July 2025 reached an agreement to grant visa-free entry to holders of diplomatic and official passports from each country.
The agreement, seen as a significant breakthrough in bilateral relations, was finalised during a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, and Bangladesh’s Home Minister, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
In April, Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka for Foreign Office Consultations — the first such engagement in 15 years.
Earlier, in March, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, during which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
In February, the two countries commenced direct government-to-government trade for the first time in decades, beginning with the import of 50,000 tonnes of rice — a symbolic step towards restoring economic cooperation.
In January, military officials from both nations underscored the importance of maintaining a “resilient and enduring partnership” that could withstand external pressures and influences.
Private trade links were also revived in November 2024 when a container ship sailed directly from Karachi to Chittagong — the first such voyage in decades, marking a major milestone in economic connectivity.
