The ninth session of the Bangladesh–Pakistan Joint Economic Commission (JEC), the first in two decades, is set to take place in Dhaka on 27 October.
The two nations are expected to discuss a broad range of issues related to fundamental economic cooperation in the meeting being held after a long hiatus.
Economic affairs adviser Salehuddin Ahmed will lead the Bangladesh delegation in the JEC session, while Pakistan’s economic affairs minister Ahad Khan Cheema will head the Pakistan side, officials at the foreign ministry confirmed to Prothom Alo.
Parallel visits and bilateral talks
Diplomatic sources revealed that around the same time as Ahad Cheema’s visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh’s commerce adviser Sk Bashir Uddin is scheduled to travel to Islamabad.
He will leave the country for Pakistan on 28 October at the invitation of Pakistan’s commerce minister Jam Kamal Khan. Bashir Uddin’s visit will focus on enhancing bilateral trade cooperation.
During his stay in Dhaka, Ahad Cheema is also expected to pay courtesy calls on chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus and foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain, in addition to attending the JEC meeting.
The last session of the Bangladesh–Pakistan Joint Economic Commission was held in Dhaka on 12 September 2005.
Relations between the two countries grew cold after the Awami League assumed power in 2009. However, diplomatic ties began to thaw following the fall of the Awami League government in the face of the student–public uprising last year.
Key areas of discussion
Bangladesh holds JEC meetings with several countries and blocs, including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the European Union (EU).
These meetings typically cover issues related to economic collaboration in areas such as trade, investment, agriculture, financial services, and banking.
Officials from the foreign ministry and the economic relations division (ERD) said that following last year’s political transition, steps have been taken to normalise relations with Pakistan, focusing particularly on business and trade cooperation.
In line with this, both sides have agreed that the upcoming JEC will concentrate on direct economic collaboration, including the expansion of trade and investment, agricultural assistance, and financial sector cooperation, the officials added.
Although trade volume between the two countries remains relatively small, Pakistan enjoys a significant trade surplus.
According to government statistics, during the 2024–25 fiscal year, Bangladesh imported goods worth US $787 million (78.7 crores) from Pakistan, while exporting goods worth only $80 million (eight crores).
A senior official confirmed that reducing the trade imbalance will be one of the key agenda points of the meeting.
“Bangladesh will request Pakistan to allow greater duty- and quota-free access for Bangladeshi products such as tea, jute products, pharmaceuticals, ready-made garment items, and electronic goods,” the official said.
4 Pakistani ministerial visits in 14 months
During the Awami League’s 15-year rule, apart from Hina Rabbani Khar’s two brief visits in 2012 and 2022, no Pakistani minister visited Bangladesh. Neither of the two visits were bilateral in nature.
By contrast, four Pakistani ministers have travelled to Dhaka, in just 14 months since last year’s political change, signalling a significant warming of bilateral ties.
The first step in this diplomatic revival came in April, when Pakistan’s foreign secretary Aamna Baloch attended the foreign secretary-level talks in Dhaka.
In August, both commerce minister Jam Kamal Khan and deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar visited Dhaka within two days of each other for bilateral discussions.
In July, Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi visited Dhaka to attend a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), where he also held a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh’s home affairs adviser, Lt. Gen. (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, on various security and cooperation matters.
The forthcoming visit by economic affairs minister Ahad Khan Cheema will thus mark the fourth ministerial-level visit from Pakistan to Bangladesh in just over a year.
During this period, Bangladesh’s religious affairs adviser AFM Khalid Hossain also visited Islamabad last month to attend the golden jubilee of the Seerat-un-Nabi (PBUH) Conference, further underscoring the gradual re-engagement between the two nations.