Pakistan and Bangladesh defence: Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Amna Baloch, will visit Bangladesh on April 17 to hold high-level talks with Bangladeshi officials in Dhaka. This is the first time in over ten years that such a high-level meeting between the two countries will take place.
The discussions will focus on strategic alignments, with both sides aiming to improve their relationship. The talks are set to be held at the state guest house, Padma, in Dhaka. Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin will lead the Bangladesh team during these important consultations.
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While no specific topics have been finalized for the meeting, officials from Bangladesh have said that a wide range of issues will be discussed. “After such a long hiatus, it is difficult to prioritize topics in advance, but the talks will be comprehensive,” Bangladesh officials stated, reported by India Today. This meeting comes at a crucial time, as both countries are looking to strengthen their ties and address areas of mutual interest.
Focus on Trade
One of the key points that Pakistan is eager to discuss with Bangladesh is the potential for increasing trade between the two countries. According to Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Md Iqbal Hussain Khan, Pakistan sees great opportunities to boost exports to Bangladesh.
“Pakistan sees potential for boosting exports to Bangladesh, especially if their products are price-competitive,” he explained. The area for trade is cotton, which Pakistan is interested in supplying to Bangladesh.
Pakistan also sees an opportunity to support Bangladesh’s imports by acting as a gateway for goods from neighboring countries like Afghanistan and Iran. High Commissioner Khan said, “There is scope for Bangladesh to explore imports via Pakistan, provided transport costs remain low.” This could help both countries by reducing costs and increasing trade in the region.
Discussions are expected to include direct air travel between Pakistan and Bangladesh. High Commissioner Khan mentioned that apart from Fly Jinnah, another Pakistani private carrier, AirSial, has applied to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to operate flights to Dhaka.
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He said “Fly Jinnah is currently waiting to expand its fleet before launching Dhaka operations, while AirSial is expected to begin direct flights within two months of receiving approval,”
These new direct flights are expected to help boost tourism and create stronger people-to-people connections between the two countries.
Future Visits and Cooperation
During her visit, Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch is expected to meet with Bangladesh’s interim head, Muhammad Yunus, as well as the foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain. Furthermore, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, is scheduled to visit Bangladesh next week.
This will be the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Dhaka since 2012. Touhid Hossain confirmed, “It has been finalized that he will come. We will be able to confirm the date within the next couple of days.” This visit is set to take place between April 20 and 21, and it is expected to be a significant step towards revising the framework agreement between the two countries.
The discussions during Ishaq Dar’s visit will focus on a variety of important issues, including defence cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Topics such as the procurement of fighter jets from China, training mechanisms, and a student exchange programme will also be part of the talks. Sources indicate that intelligence cooperation will be an important subject on the agenda.
