Pakistan and Bangladesh signed six agreements in several areas of cooperation on Sunday when the viceprimer minister Ishaq Dar made a historical visit to Dhaka to build the restart in the ties.
Since a popular uprising in Bangladesh saw the government of Sheikh Hasina knocked down in August last year, there has been a thaw in the ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, with commercial and bilateral relations when seeing a marked improvement.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called the two -day visit, the first by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Bangladesh in 13 years, a “significant milestone” in the relations of the two countries.
After the conversations at the level of delegation between the foreign advisor of Dar and Bangladesh Touhid Hossain in Dhaka today, both leaders supervised the signing of “six instruments,” said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO), Shafqat Ali Khan, in a statement.
These included an agreement on the abolition of the visa for the headlines of diplomatic and official passports, as well as a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in a joint work group on trade.
Pakistan and Bangladesh had agreed to grant free admission to the headlines of diplomatic and official passports on the other side last month, when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Dhaka.
A MOU was also signed among the foreign service academies of both countries, while another MOU was signed between the Associated Press of Pakistan and the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha To improve media cooperation.
In the mastery of academics, a MOU was signed between the Institute of Strategic Studies of Strategic Studies of Islamabad and Bangladesh of international and strategic studies, while a cultural exchange program was also agreed.
“These agreements will institutionalize and strengthen even more bilateral cooperation in commerce and economy, diplomat training, academic exchanges, cooperation of cultural media and exchanges,” said the FO statement.
According to Bangladesh’s The Daily StarDar and Hossain celebrated a brief individual discussion before leading their respective delegations at a formal meeting at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
During their wide conversations, both parties reviewed the “full range of bilateral relations,” said the FO in X.
“The conversations took place in a constructive atmosphere, reflecting the good will and cordiality between [the] two countries. Both parties agreed to work for a greater strengthening of bilateral relations, ”said Fo. Hossain also organized a lunch in honor of giving.
The issues discussed included “high -level exchanges, commercial and economic cooperation, people contacts to people, cultural exchanges, cooperation in education and capacity development, and humanitarian problems.”
Regional and international issues were also discussed, including the rejuvenation of the Association of South Asia for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the resolution of the problems of Palestine and Rohingya.
According to a FO press release, GIV will also meet with the main advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus later today. At night, the delegation is also expected to meet the former prime minister and the president of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Khaleda Zia, The Daily Star saying.
Separately, Pakistan launched the “Knowledge Corridor of Pakistan-Bangladesh”, a project that provides for the subsidy of 500 scholarships to Bangladesh students to conduct higher studies in Pakistan over the next five years.
“A quarter of these scholarships will be granted in the Medicine field. In addition, training for 100 Bangladesh officials will be organized during the same period,” said the FO in a statement.
Pakistan will also increase the scholarships assigned to Bangladesh students under Pakistan technical assistance program from five to 25.
Continuing with his series of meetings with Bangladesh politicians, Dar met Jamat-I-Islami Emir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman in his residence.
The prime minister, on behalf of his prime minister and prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, transmitted his best wishes of good health to Rahman, who is recovering after cardiac surgery.
Giving also appreciated the “positive contribution for life in the fields of politics, education and social welfare,” said the fo.
Meeting with Commerce Advisor, Commercial Officials
In the morning, the Minister of Dar y Comercio, Jam Kamal Khan, had a breakfast meeting with the commerce advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin, who was accompanied by several finance and commercial officials, said Fo in X.
“The two parties discussed ways to promote economic and commercial cooperation, with a special approach in improving trade and promoting connectivity,” said the post.
The president of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, the governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, the president of the National Revenue Board, Abdur Rahman Khan, and the president of the commission commission and tariffs of Bangladesh, Moinul Khan, also joined the meeting.
Other officials attending the meeting were the Secretary of the Ministry of Textile, MD Abdur Rauf, the secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Nasreen Jahan, the secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Mahbubur Rahman, the Corporation Trading Corporation of Bangladesh Brigadier Gen Gen Mohammad Faisal Azad and High Commissioner of Banglades
Last night, Dar and Kamal attended a reception organized by the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh Imran Haider.
In his comments at the reception, Foreign Minister stressed that Pakistan’s people had fraternal feelings towards the people of Bangladesh, said Fo in X.
“He said the relations between the two countries were anchored in hundreds shared hundreds, Islamic inheritance, social norms and literary expressions.”
Wishing the people of Bangladesh a harmonious and prosperous future, Dan expressed “Pakistan’s strong desire to forge a cooperative and vision of the future with Bangladesh.”
The deputy prime minister interacted with personalities of “different areas of life, including the advisors of the Bangladesh government, bureaucrats, leadership of political parties, vice chancellor, members of intellectuals and Think Tanks, athletes, artists, journalists, retired generals and others,” added the FO.
Starting his two-day visit yesterday, Dar met with the delegations of the three political parties of Bangladesh: the National Citizens Party (NCP), Jamaat-I-Islami and the BNP.
The Daily StarCiting the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs unidentified, he said that the two parties also plan to hold the meeting of the Joint Largenic Economic Commission in September or October, two decades since their last session. The Minister of Finance, Muhammad Aurengzeb, can visit Dhaka for the meeting, added the report.
