On the first day of his Dhaka visit, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate meetings with leaders of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizens’ Party (NCP).
In these discussions, he spoke about expanding relations between the two countries, including within the political sphere. Sources said he conveyed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening relations with Bangladesh on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.
Ishaq Dar arrived in Dhaka on Saturday for a two-day visit. He landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2:00 pm on a special Pakistan Air Force flight and was received by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam. From the afternoon, he began meeting with political parties at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka.
Calls for stronger relations
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir led his party’s delegation in the meeting with Ishaq Dar. Central Organising Secretary (Faridpur Division) Shama Obaid was also present. Speaking to Prothom Alo later in the night, Shama Obaid said the discussions focused on how trade and commerce could serve as a driving force to advance relations between the two countries.
She said Ishaq Dar emphasised moving forward on the basis of mutual respect. “Overall, we discussed how relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan could progress from the perspectives of the government, political parties, and the people,” she said, adding that alongside bilateral ties, regional cooperation also featured prominently in the talks.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on its X handle that Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Bangladesh on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests. The importance of regional cooperation was also underscored, with special reference to Bangladesh’s fundamental role in the founding of SAARC. According to BNP leaders, the meeting also touched on past high-level dialogues between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Unresolved issues are for governments to settle
Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, Naib-e-Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, said that unresolved issues between the two countries are matters for the governments to address.
Taher led Jamaat’s delegation in Saturday’s meeting with Dar. Speaking to journalists afterward, he said discussions covered issues of mutual interest, regional trade, and ways to further strengthen ties.
Referring to Bangladesh’s foreign policy of the past 15 years, he said it had been somewhat one-sided, but now both the government and others in Bangladesh recognise the need for good relations with all neighbouring countries.
“Both sides stressed this,” he said, adding that outstanding bilateral issues should be resolved quickly in a conducive environment.
Asked whether they raised the unresolved issues of 1971, Taher replied: “These matters are for the two governments to discuss. We hope the governments will address them.” On whether the national election was discussed, he said the topic came up only incidentally and was not a focus.
On its X handle, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that in the meeting with Jamaat leaders, the discussions centered on ways to strengthen Pakistan–Bangladesh relations and on recent regional developments.
NCP stresses building friendly relations
In their meeting with Ishaq Dar at the High Commission, leaders of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) emphasised the need to move beyond the adverse relations of the past and build friendly ties with Pakistan. They also raised the point that Pakistan should “deal with” the 1971 issues in order to advance bilateral relations.
The NCP’s seven-member delegation was led by Member-Secretary Akhtar Hossain. Speaking to journalists afterward, he said: “We tried to present to them the perceptions that Bangladesh’s people have about Pakistan. The NCP believes that there is scope to improve upon the previously adversarial relations between the two countries. But in doing so, the people’s perceptions must be treated as the most sensitive element.” He added that NCP considers addressing the 1971 issue a necessary condition for advancing relations with Bangladesh.
When asked whether Dar said anything about the three unresolved issues of 1971 being obstacles to progress, Akhtar Hossain replied that Pakistan would inform them. On the same point, NCP’s Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari said: “We told them the 1971 issue should be resolved quickly. They said they were prepared to do so.”
The three unresolved issues between Bangladesh and Pakistan are: an official apology from Pakistan for the 1971 genocide, the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, and Bangladesh’s rightful share in the assets of undivided Pakistan. In April, the Bangladesh government raised these matters at the foreign secretary–level talks in Dhaka.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on its X handle that in the meeting with NCP leaders, Dar praised their perspectives and emphasised the importance of greater engagement between the youths of the two countries.
Following his political meetings, Dar attended a dinner at the residence of Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Muhammad Iqbal Khan.
On Sunday morning, Dar is scheduled to meet Trade Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin for a breakfast meeting. He will then hold a one-on-one meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, followed by delegation-level talks. Six agreements and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed between the two countries. In the afternoon, Dar will pay a courtesy call on Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus. In the evening, he will visit BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at her residence in Gulshan.