Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Secretary to Visit Dhaka in April

Pakistan Seeks to Revive Ties with Bangladesh Amidst Diplomatic Engagements

Pakistan is making renewed efforts to restore bilateral relations with Bangladesh, which have remained largely stagnant for nearly 15 years following the student-led uprising that resulted in a change in government. While Bangladesh initially approached the prospect of strengthening ties with caution, recent developments indicate an openness to engagement, particularly in areas such as trade, commerce, and regional cooperation.

As part of this diplomatic initiative, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, along with Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, are set to visit Dhaka in April. Their visits will be spaced five days apart.

A senior official from Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry confirmed to Prothom Alo that a Foreign Secretary-level meeting between the two countries is scheduled to take place in Dhaka on April 17. Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary, Jashim Uddin, and his Pakistani counterpart, Amna Baloch, will lead their respective delegations. Additionally, on April 22, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain will hold bilateral discussions with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Foreign Ministry sources indicate that the final itinerary for the Pakistani delegation is still being finalized. However, preliminary plans suggest that both Ishaq Dar and Amna Baloch will pay a courtesy visit to Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government.

Confirming the upcoming talks, Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin stated that this will be the first such high-level discussion in nearly 15 years, covering various aspects of bilateral relations, including unresolved historical matters. The meeting is expected to address key areas such as trade and investment, air connectivity, defence cooperation, agricultural collaboration, and cultural exchange programs. A specialized cultural exchange initiative may also be proposed to Pakistan. The last Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two nations took place in Islamabad in November 2010.

With direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan under discussion, officials noted that direct cargo shipping has already commenced, and visa restrictions have been relaxed. Trade and commercial ties are also showing signs of growth. Additionally, Fly Jinnah, a Pakistani budget airline, is awaiting final clearance to commence passenger flights to Bangladesh. While Dhaka has granted the necessary permissions, Pakistan’s aviation authority is in the process of finalizing the airline’s General Sales Agent (GSA) approval.

Bangladesh Emphasizes Unresolved Issues

Since August 5, Pakistan has been actively working to enhance its relations with Bangladesh. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has met with Professor Muhammad Yunus on multiple occasions, including on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York last September and again at the D-8 summit in Cairo last December.

However, sources from a recent inter-ministerial meeting at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Dhaka maintains a firm stance on addressing longstanding unresolved issues before any significant progress in bilateral relations. These include:

• An unconditional apology from Pakistan for war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War

• Compensation for war-related damages

• The repatriation of stranded Pakistanis

• Bangladesh’s rightful claim to pre-1971 financial assets

• Repayment of foreign aid taken during the 1970 cyclone in then-undivided Pakistan

A senior Bangladeshi diplomat, reflecting the government’s position, stated that Dhaka is unwilling to advance relations with Islamabad unless these historical issues—particularly a formal apology for the 1971 genocide—are addressed.

During his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Cairo, Chief Adviser Professor Yunus reiterated Bangladesh’s firm stance, emphasizing the need for a conclusive resolution: “These issues keep resurfacing. Let us move forward and resolve them once and for all.”