Pakistan’s minister of foreign affairs flew to Bangladesh yesterday, as the nations, once bitter enemies after they split in 1971, seek to rebuild ties.
Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar is the most senior Pakistani official to visit Dhaka since 2012, with Islamabad calling it a “significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations.”
The two nations are today expected to sign several agreements, including on trade.
Photo: AP
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Dar would meet with Bangladeshi interim leader Muhammad Yunus.
Pakistan and Bangladesh began sea trade last year, expanding government-to-government commerce in February.
Pakistani Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan held talks on Thursday in Dhaka, where he agreed to set up joint commissions to boost trade and investment.
On Friday, top military commanders from both nations met in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s military was accused of atrocities during the 1971 war, when East Pakistan broke away to form Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands were killed and many in Dhaka still demand Islamabad apologize for the killings.
After 1971, Bangladesh leaned heavily on India, but Bangladesh’s interim government is furious that India took former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina in — where she remains and continues to refuse to attend her trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity.
“The toppling of Hasina was a strategic setback for India, and the improved relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan are a consequence of her ouster,” International Crisis Group senior consultant Thomas Kean said.
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