Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar meets adviser Touhid in Dhaka

The bilateral meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain and Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar began this morning at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

The two leaders first held a brief one-to-one discussion before leading their respective delegations in a formal meeting.

Dar, accompanied by Pakistan Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan is scheduled to call on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus later in the day. In the evening, the delegation is also expected to meet BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

According to diplomatic sources, the discussions will cover the full range of bilateral relations, alongside regional and international issues.

Foreign ministry officials confirmed that the two countries are set to sign five memorandums of understanding (MoUs). These include agreements on visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports, establishing a joint working group on trade and commerce, cooperation between Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and Associated Press of Pakistan, and collaboration between the two countries' foreign service academies.

The highlights of the visit will be the signing of one agreement and the five MoUs aimed at strengthening ties in trade, culture, media, training and travel.

In July, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Dhaka following the foreign secretary level consultation on April 17 by Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dhaka.

The last foreign ministerial-level visit to Bangladesh was in November 2012, when Hina Rabbani visited Dhaka to invite then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the D-8 summit in Islamabad.

Relations between Dhaka and Islamabad soured in 2013 after Pakistan condemned the execution of Abdul Quader Mollah, a Jamaat-e-Islami leader convicted of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Renewed efforts to mend ties began after Bangladesh's political changeover last year.

Bilateral trade has since risen, reaching $865 million in FY 2024–25. Bangladesh's exports to Pakistan stood at $78 million, a 20 percent increase from the previous year, while Pakistan's exports grew by 28 percent.

Direct shipping was launched last August, alongside relaxed visa and trade regimes. Preparations for direct Dhaka–Karachi flights are also under way, with Pakistani carriers Fly Jinnah and Air Sial seeking approvals, while Biman Bangladesh is considering applying to Pakistan's authorities.

A high-level Pakistani business delegation, led by Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Atif Ikram Sheikh, visited Dhaka in January after a 12-year gap.

Foreign ministry officials said the two sides are also planning to hold the long-stalled Joint Economic Commission meeting in September or October, two decades since its last session. Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb may visit Dhaka on that occasion.