Ishaq Dar meets BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Dhaka

DHAKA: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, paid a visit to Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia, at her residence in Dhaka on Sunday, August 24, ARY News reported.

The meeting lasted about 15 minutes and was part of Ishaq Dar’s official two-day visit to Bangladesh, which was the first by a Pakistani foreign minister in over a decade.

According to the Foreign Office of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar inquired about Khaleda Zia’s health and expressed best wishes on behalf of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Both leaders discussed bilateral relations, regional partnership, and strategies for fostering prosperity.

Ishaq Dar praised the contributions of Khaleda Zia during her tenure as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and recalled her 2006 visit to Pakistan, which was a significant moment in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations.

Senior BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, were also part of the meeting, along with Pakistan’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Imran Haider.

Ishaq Dar’s visit came at a time when the relationship between the two countries is getting better after recent political changes in Bangladesh.

The recent visit also matches with the signing of six agreements that will help with trade, media, academic exchanges, and make it easier to get visas.

Earlier, Ishaq Dar met the political leadership of Bangladesh during his visit to the South Asian country.

“As part of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s interaction with different political stakeholders, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and National Citizens Party (NCP),” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.

Regional cooperation featured prominently in the discussions, during which Bangladesh’s foundational role in establishing SAARC was acknowledged.