Bangladesh, Pakistan Foreign Secretaries Meet in Dhaka after 15 Years

Dhaka – Bangladesh and Pakistan have resumed Foreign Secretary-level talks after a 15-year hiatus, as Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch met with her Bangladeshi counterpart Md Jashim Uddin in Dhaka on Wednesday. The meeting took place at the State Guest House Padma and focused on a range of bilateral issues.

The Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) are being held ahead of the scheduled visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka on April 27–28. This marks the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Bangladesh since 2012.

According to The Daily Star, discussions between the two foreign secretaries commenced at the State Guest House Padma around 10 am. The renewed dialogue signals Dhaka’s efforts to normalise ties with Islamabad following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League-led government in August 2024.

Following the formal talks, Amna Baloch is also scheduled to meet with Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus and Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain. Additionally, she will interact with local think tanks and meet with members of the Pakistani diaspora in Dhaka later in the day.

Since the military-backed interim government led by Yunus assumed power last August, diplomatic engagement between Bangladesh and Pakistan has noticeably increased. Notably, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and CA Yunus met twice in 2024—once on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September and again at the D-8 summit in Cairo in December.

This warming of relations has been reflected in Bangladesh easing visa regulations for Pakistani nationals and initiating direct shipping routes. Islamabad, for its part, is keen on enhancing cultural exchange, boosting trade, and investing in tourism and economic ties with Dhaka.

“Pakistan sees significant potential for increasing exports to Bangladesh, especially if Pakistani products are competitively priced,” said Iqbal Hussain Khan, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, who is also in Dhaka for the FOC.

Pakistan is looking to export key commodities such as cotton, sugar, rice, and wheat to Bangladesh. In fiscal year 2023–24, Bangladesh exported goods worth USD 61.98 million to Pakistan while importing goods worth USD 627.8 million from its South Asian neighbour.

Given Pakistan’s geographical advantage as a gateway to Afghanistan and Iran, Dhaka is exploring the possibility of using Pakistani routes to export goods to those regions. Talks are also underway to establish direct flights between the two countries, according to the Bangladeshi High Commissioner.

While bilateral trade and cooperation are being pursued, Bangladesh is also seeking resolution on historical issues stemming from the 1971 war. These include demands for an unconditional apology from Pakistan for the Bengali genocide, financial reparations, the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, and recovery of foreign aid funds allegedly misappropriated by Islamabad during the 1970 Bhola cyclone.

The change in political leadership in Dhaka has also led to tensions with India, amid concerns over rising religious extremism, increased violence against Hindus, and anti-India rhetoric from several members of the interim government.

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