Pakistan foreign minister to visit Dhaka, focus on close political ties

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will arrive in Dhaka on 23 August on a two-day visit in a first bilateral visit of any Pakistani foreign minister in the past three decades.

Ishaq Dar will hold a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on the second day of his visit.

Officials at the foreign ministry told this correspondent that Ishaq Dar may have an opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government Professor Muhammad Yunus on the second day of his visit.

Diplomatic sources said Pakistan foreign secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka last April to revitalise the two-decade long cold relations between Dhaka and Islamabad.

As part of this, Ishaq Dar may discuss issues related to rejuvenating the relation and increasing ties in political domain.

Diplomatic sources also hinted that Ishaq Dar may hold discussion with political leaders in Bangladesh during his Dhaka visit.

When asked, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain told Prothom Alo on 2 August that Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will arrive in Dhaka on 23 August on a bilateral visit, and the bilateral meeting may be held on 24 August.

Regarding the priority issues of the upcoming Dhaka-Islamabad foreign ministry level meeting, Touhid Hossain said, “The meeting agenda has not yet been fixed. We hope it will be finalised at the beginning of August.”

Since the political changeover in Bangladesh following the student-people's mass uprising on 5 August 2024, Pakistan has been emphasising the activation of bilateral engagements at various levels.

As part of this approach, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka in April for foreign secretary-level talks.

Following Ishaq Dar’s scheduled visit to Dhaka, Pakistan has expressed interest in organising a meeting of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Islamabad. The last (eighth) JEC meeting between the two countries was held in Dhaka in September 2005.

Ishaq Dar was originally scheduled to visit Dhaka on 27–28 April. However, the foreign ministries of both Pakistan and Bangladesh announced on 24 April that the visit had been postponed due to ‘unexpected circumstances,’ Bangladesh’s foreign ministry had said at the time that a new date for the visit would be finalised in consultation with both parties.

According to diplomatic sources, 26 tourists were killed in a shooting by gunmen in Pahalgam, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir, on 22 April, escalating a conflict between India and Pakistan. As a result of the emerging situation, Ishaq Dar’s visit to Dhaka was postponed.

After nearly a 15-year hiatus, the foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and Pakistan met in Dhaka on 17 April. During the meeting, both countries emphasised the importance of maintaining regular dialogue to advance bilateral relations.

As a result, the meeting was seen as the first step in reviving relations that had been dormant for over a decade and a half.

Officials at the foreign ministry stated that the discussions stressed mutual respect, understanding, and shared interests as key to moving forward.

Bangladesh conveyed that urgent resolution of unresolved issues was essential to build upon recent high-level communications.

In this regard, Bangladesh highlighted three historic issues: a formal apology from Pakistan for the 1971 genocide, the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, and Bangladesh’s rightful share of undivided assets. Pakistan agreed to continue discussions on these matters.

However, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs omitted any mention of these key issues in its post-meeting press release. When asked about this, several high-level government sources in Bangladesh said that while Bangladesh seeks cordial ties with Pakistan, such relations cannot be built while ignoring the unresolved historical matters.

At the D-8 Summit in Cairo last December, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus raised these concerns with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying, “These matters keep resurfacing. Let us resolve them so we can move forward.” He emphasised the importance of settling these issues permanently for the sake of future generations.

Government sources said that since the Chief Adviser himself is advocating for resolving these historical issues, there is no scope for progressing relations while disregarding them. Nevertheless, Bangladesh is not unwilling to participate in various meetings, including the Joint Economic Commission (JEC). However, it prefers a cautious and slow approach.

The last foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries took place in Islamabad on 1 November 2010. Even then, Pakistan’s press release avoided mentioning the three unresolved issues, including an apology for the 1971 genocide.

In contrast, Bangladesh's press release included references to them. At that time, Pakistan also promised to continue discussions on the unsettled matters.

Bangladesh and Pakistan are eager to enhance trade and commerce as part of strengthening their bilateral ties. Some top Pakistani business leaders are expected to accompany Ishaq Dar during the latter’s upcoming visit to Bangladesh.

As part of the effort to boost trade, business representatives from both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 14 January to establish a Joint Business Council.

Later, the ‘Pakistan-Bangladesh Business Forum’ was held in Dhaka on 28 April. To enhance cooperation in the apparel sector, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) signed an MoU with Pakistan’s Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) during the forum.

An analysis of government statistics shows that trade between the two countries increased by 5 per cent in the 2022–23 fiscal year, compared to the previous year. The trade volume in 2021–22 was $919 million, which rose to $956 million in 2022–23. Trade volume declined again in the 2023–24 fiscal year due to economic downturns.

Bangladesh imports raw materials for garments from Pakistan, as well as food grains when there are supply shortages. Pakistan also imports raw jute, tea, raw and semi-processed leather, and hydrogen peroxide from Bangladesh.

Several former Bangladeshi diplomats told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that Pakistan has become more proactive in strengthening ties with Bangladesh following the 5 August political changeover. This is evident from recent activities by Pakistan.

Direct cargo shipping between the two countries has commenced. Visa restrictions are beginning to ease. Pakistan based airline Fly Jinnah has been granted approval to operate flights to Bangladesh, followed by AirSial, another Pakistani low-cost carrier, receiving permission to fly directly to Bangladesh.

Several foreign policy observers commented that the 15-year stagnation in Dhaka-Islamabad relations should come to an end. Bilateral cooperation in trade, people-to-people movement, and other sectors is possible.

However, Bangladesh must not lose sight of resolving the three historical and unresolved issues despite the complexities involved.