FM Ishaq Dar arrives in Bangladesh, highest level visit in years

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar reached Dhaka on Saturday on a historic visit to Bangladesh, marking Pakistan’s highest-level official visit to Bangladesh since 2012.

The trip is seen as a bid to reset ties between the two South Asian nations amid shifting regional dynamics.

He was received at the airport by Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, along side Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, and other senior Bangladeshi officials.

The Foreign Office described the visit as a “significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations,” underscoring Islamabad’s renewed commitment to bilateral cooperation.

“In Dhaka, he will hold important meetings with Bangladeshi leaders including Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus. The visit is a significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations as a Pakistani Foreign Minister is visiting Bangladesh after a gap of around 13 years,” Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press statement.

Several agreements are expected to be signed on Sunday, with a focus on enhancing trade and economic cooperation.

Analysts say neighboring India—already unsettled after its brief four-day conflict with Pakistan in May—is likely to watch the developments closely. Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi soured in August 2024 after a mass uprising toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who later fled to India.

Pakistan and Bangladesh began sea trade last year, expanding government-to-government commerce in February.

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan held talks Thursday in Dhaka, where he agreed to set up joint commissions to boost trade and investment. On Friday, top military commanders from both nations met in Pakistan.

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus, is furious that India took Hasina in — where she remains and continues to refuse to attend her trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity.

“The toppling of Hasina was a strategic setback for India, and the improved relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan are a consequence of her ouster”, said Thomas Kean of the International Crisis Group.

Dhaka accused India this month of backing Hasina’s now-outlawed Awami League party, charges that New Delhi rejected, saying it “does not allow political activities against other countries to be carried out” from its soil.