United News of Bangladesh

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Saturday (August 23) for a two-day official visit, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan issued on Friday. The visit is being made at the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the statement said. During his stay from August 23–24, the Deputy Prime Minister will hold high-level meetings with several Bangladeshi leaders, including Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Adviser for Foreign Affairs Md. Touhid Hossain. Discussions will cover the full range of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest, the statement added. Referring to 1971 issues with Pakistan, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Aug 4, said each issue would be on the table for discussions as Dhaka is set to receive his Pakistani counterpart on August 23. "Each issue will be on the table," Adviser Hossain told reporters when asked whether Bangladesh will raise the issues of seeking public apology by Pakistan and due compensation. Hossain said the interim government is approaching in a "pragmatic way" in terms of its relations with Pakistan, stressing that everything will be on the table for discussion during Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Ishaq Dar's visit. Ishaq Dar's previous scheduled visit to Bangladesh in April was postponed amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. “Owing to unforeseen circumstances, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan is unable to undertake the visit to Bangladesh on 27-28 April 2025,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan at that time. Pakistan to start direct flights with Bangladesh by end of 2025 Later, the two sides finalised new date through mutual consultations. In July last week, Bangladesh and Pakistan expressed deep concern over the ongoing Israeli aggression and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Palestine, reiterating their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause. The message was conveyed during a meeting between Ishaq Dar and Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Hossain, held on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Two-State Solution at the United Nations. This was their fourth meeting since October 2024. They also reviewed bilateral ties and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political, economic and cultural cooperation, while exploring ways to enhance connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka said.

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Bangladesh next month as the South Asian country wants to deepen its relations with Dhaka amid changed political situation. Ishaq Dar’s upcoming trip to Dhaka will be the first visit by any Pakistani Foreign Minister since 2012. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, during the previous regime, repeatedly wanted Pakistan to “seek apology publicly with a formal announcement” for the atrocities perpetrated against unarmed Bangalees in 1971. In February 2023, Bangladesh conveyed the same message to former State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Hina Rabbani Khar during a meeting in Sri Lanka's Colombo. Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim invited Pakistan Foreign Minister to visit Malaysia to discuss promotion of trade and discuss development of a roadmap and ensure business to business community interaction so that PM meeting is meaningful. India, Bangladesh set to exchange apprehended fishermen in humanitarian repatriation effort "So, I will visit Malaysia from February 3 to 5. After completion of my visit to Malaysia, I will also visit Bangladesh at the invitation of Dr Yunus which I received at Cairo," said the Pakistan Foreign Minister on Thursday during a media briefing in Islamabad. He described his planned Bangladesh visit as "crucial" noting that Bangladesh is their "lost brother." "We will work, support and cooperate on the economic and trade fronts and things are moving fast on these fronts," said Ishaq Dar. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met on the sidelines of the D8 Summit in December 2024 and agreed to strengthen relations between the two countries. Dr Yunus urged his Pakistani counterpart to settle the issues of 1971 to help Dhaka move forward with its relationship with Islamabad. "The issues have kept coming again and again. Let's settle those issues for us to move forward," Yunus told Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Dhaka's ties with Delhi won’t get stuck on single issue: Foreign Adviser Sharif said the 1974 tripartite agreement involving Bangladesh, Pakistan and India settled things, "but if there are other outstanding issues," he would be happy to look at them. Prof Yunus said it would be nice to resolve things "once and for all for the future generations." The two leaders also expressed their desire to extend cooperation in new areas such as the sugar industry and dengue management. Prof Yunus and Sharif discussed issues of mutual interest, including the revival of the SAARC—a key feature of the foreign policy announced by the Chief Adviser after he took over as the head of the interim government. The 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate also spoke about his government's plan to carry out "essential reforms" and hold the general election before mid-2026.