Key points
- Focus on trade, investment, and defence cooperation
- Karachi–Chittagong shipping route now operational
- Improving ties after former PM Hasina’s fall
ISLAMABAD: The senior-most Pakistani military official, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), met with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Saturday to discuss key areas such as bilateral trade, investment, and defence cooperation.
This marks the first visit by Pakistan’s top military officer to Bangladesh since the 1971 split. The meeting took place at the Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka, where both leaders addressed a range of topics aimed at strengthening Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, according to Yunus’s office.
General Mirza highlighted the shared historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties between the two countries and expressed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing cooperation across various sectors, pointing out the significant potential for expanding trade, connectivity, and investment, reports Arab News.
“Our two countries will support each other,” Mirza remarked, adding that a two-way shipping route between Karachi and Chittagong was already operational, and a Dhaka–Karachi air route was expected to launch within months, according to Yunus’s office.
Global issues
Ties have improved since the fall of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration, who 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.
In their discussion, General Mirza and Yunus also exchanged views on global issues, including the tensions in the Middle East and the rising challenges posed by misinformation and the misuse of social media by non-state actors. “Fake news and disinformation have flooded social media. It is being used to sow chaos,” said Yunus. “There must be a concerted global effort to combat this menace.”
