This is the first visit by Pakistani foreign minister since 2012, amid warming ties after decades of strain
\n Dhaka
\nDeputy 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.
\nHina 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\u2019s 15-year tenure.
\nUpon reaching Dhaka, Dar was received at the airport by Bangladesh\u2019s Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, along with Pakistan\u2019s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider. Bangladesh\u2019s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Muhammad Iqbal Khan, and officials from the Pakistan High Commission were also present.
\nDar first met a delegation of the National Citizen Party (NCP), led by Akhtar Hossain. He praised the NCP leadership\u2019s \u201cvision for reform and social justice\u201d and underlined the importance of greater interaction between the youth of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
\nThe NCP members, for their part, briefed Dar on \u201cdifferent facets of countrywide political mobilisation in 2024,\u201d the ministry added. Both sides also discussed ways to promote cultural exchanges in the coming months.
\nLater, 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.
\nDar \u201clauded the courage and steadfastness of the Jamaat leaders and activists in the face of hardships and difficulties,\u201d according to the ministry statement.
\nDPM also met a delegation of Bangladesh\u2019s 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 \u201con the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.\u201d
\nRegional cooperation also featured in the talks, with Dar acknowledging Bangladesh\u2019s foundational role in the establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
\nThe two sides also recalled past high-level interactions between Pakistan and Bangladesh, underscoring the importance of continued political dialogue.
\nThe trip, described as long overdue, had earlier been postponed twice \u2014 once in May following heightened Pakistan-India tensions after the Pahalgam attack.
\n\u201cAt the invitation of the Government of the People\u2019s Republic of Bangladesh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is on an official visit to Bangladesh from 23\u201324 August 2025,\u201d the Foreign Office said in a statement.
\nDuring his stay in Dhaka, Dar is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Adviser for Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossain.
\n \u201cThe whole range of bilateral relations and several regional and international issues will be discussed during these meetings,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":498566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-498554","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n