Dar stresses stronger Pak-Bangladesh youth engagement

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized on Saturday greater interaction between the youth of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

He was speaking to a delegation of the National Citizen Party (NCP) of Bangladesh, led by Akhtar Hossain, at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka.

During the discussion, the deputy prime minister appreciated the NCP leadership’s vision for reform and social justice.

The delegation members apprised Ishaq Dar of various aspects of the countrywide political mobilisation that took place last year.

The two sides also discussed possibilities for promoting cultural exchanges between Pakistan and Bangladesh in the coming days.

Earlier, Dar arrived in to Bangladesh on Saturday as the nations seek to rebuild ties with regional power balances shifting.

At the airport, he was received by Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Asad Alam Siam, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider and other senior Bangladeshi officials, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press release.

FM Dar is the most senior Pakistani official to visit Dhaka since 2012, with Islamabad calling it a “significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations”.

The two brotherly nations are expected to sign several agreements including on trade on Sunday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dar would meet with Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus.

Analysts say neighbouring India, which fought a four-day conflict with Pakistan in May, will be watching closely.

Direct flights, shipping routes proposed to strengthen Pakistan-Bangladesh ties

Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi turned icy in August 2024 after a mass uprising in Bangladesh ended the autocratic rule of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, prompting her to flee to India.

“Bangladesh had been one of India’s closest partners in its neighbourhood, and now it is flirting with India’s chief adversary,” said Michael Kugelman, a US-based analyst, ahead of the visit.

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.

After 1971, Bangladesh leaned heavily on India, which almost encircles the country of 170 million people.

But 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.