This is the first visit by Pakistani foreign minister since 2012, amid warming ties after decades of strain
Dhaka
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday held separate meetings with Bangladeshi political delegations to discuss reforms, youth engagement, stronger bilateral relations and regional developments, the foreign ministry said. This is the first visit by any Pakistani foreign minister since 2012 and comes amid growing ties between the two countries after nearly two decades of strained relations.
Hina Rabbani Khar was the last foreign minister to travel to Dhaka, where she extended an invitation to then prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid for the D-8 summit. Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh remained tense during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure.
Upon reaching Dhaka, Dar was received at the airport by Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, along with Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider. Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Muhammad Iqbal Khan, and officials from the Pakistan High Commission were also present.
Dar first met a delegation of the National Citizen Party (NCP), led by Akhtar Hossain. He praised the NCP leadership’s “vision for reform and social justice” and underlined the importance of greater interaction between the youth of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The NCP members, for their part, briefed Dar on “different facets of countrywide political mobilisation in 2024,” the ministry added. Both sides also discussed ways to promote cultural exchanges in the coming months.
Later, Dar met with a delegation of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, led by Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher, Naib Ameer. Talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations and recent regional developments.
Dar “lauded the courage and steadfastness of the Jamaat leaders and activists in the face of hardships and difficulties,” according to the ministry statement.
DPM also met a delegation of Bangladesh’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The meeting, described as cordial by officials, focused on strengthening bilateral relations “on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.”
Regional cooperation also featured in the talks, with Dar acknowledging Bangladesh’s foundational role in the establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The two sides also recalled past high-level interactions between Pakistan and Bangladesh, underscoring the importance of continued political dialogue.
The trip, described as long overdue, had earlier been postponed twice — once in May following heightened Pakistan-India tensions after the Pahalgam attack.
“At the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is on an official visit to Bangladesh from 23–24 August 2025,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
During his stay in Dhaka, Dar is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Adviser for Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossain.
“The whole range of bilateral relations and several regional and international issues will be discussed during these meetings,” the statement added.
