ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day official visit from August 23 to 24, at the special invitation of the Bangladeshi government.
Upon arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, he was received by Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Muhammad Iqbal Khan, and other officials of the Pakistan High Commission, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO).
“This visit marks a significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations, as a Pakistani Foreign Minister is visiting Bangladesh after nearly 13 years,” the FO noted.
During his stay in Dhaka, Dar will hold high-level meetings with Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Affairs Advisor Muhammad Touhid Hussain, and other senior Bangladeshi officials. The discussions will cover ways to strengthen bilateral ties and address regional and global issues of mutual concern.
According to the FO, several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at boosting cooperation between the two countries are also expected to be signed during the visit.
The trip comes amid a phase of warming relations between Islamabad and Dhaka, following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after a student-led uprising.
Last month, both countries achieved a major diplomatic breakthrough by agreeing in principle to allow visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports, during a meeting in Dhaka between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh’s Home Minister Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
