Dhaka–Islamabad FM level meeting eyes six new agreements

Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar have joined a bilateral meeting.

The meeting began around 10:45 am today, Sunday, at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital. Following the talks, the two countries are expected to sign six agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

From speaking to several current and former Bangladeshi diplomats, and reviewing official documents no precedent could be found for a bilateral foreign minister-level meeting between the two nations in the past.

Diplomatic sources said today’s bilateral meeting is expected to cover various issues of relations and cooperation.

Earlier today, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a breakfast meeting with Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin.

At around 10:15 am, he sat down for talks with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at Hotel Sonargaon.

Later this afternoon, Ishaq Dar will pay a courtesy call on Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus.

In the evening, the Pakistani Foreign Minister will visit BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at her residence in Gulshan.

On the first day of his Dhaka trip, Ishaq Dar held separate meetings with leaders of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizens’ Party (NCP). These discussions covered political engagement as well as ways to strengthen bilateral ties in various fields.

According to relevant sources, Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to deepening relations with Bangladesh on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.

Ishaq Dar arrived in Dhaka yesterday, Saturday, on a two-day visit. At around 2:00 pm, he landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a special Pakistan Air Force flight, where he was received by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam.

From the afternoon, he began his series of meetings with political parties at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka.