ছবি: Photo: Collected
Bangladesh and Pakistan have witnessed a significant improvement in bilateral relations following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 last year amidst widespread protests by students and the general public. Since then, Sheikh Hasina has moved to India, and diplomatic ties between the two nations have begun to thaw.
According to a report by The Express Tribune, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, confirmed that Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has accepted an invitation to visit Islamabad. The visit is expected to take place on mutually agreed dates.
Additionally, Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh next month, marking a pivotal step in the warming relations between the two countries. The upcoming trip will be the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh since 2012, when Hina Rabbani Khar traveled to Dhaka. Her visit at the time was primarily to invite then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the D-8 Summit, a gathering of eight developing Muslim-majority nations.
During Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure from 2009, relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh were strained. The Awami League leader was often seen as aligning with India, rejecting multiple attempts by Pakistan to foster closer ties. The recent political shift in Bangladesh appears to have paved the way for renewed diplomatic engagement.
The visit by Ishaq Dar, alongside Dr. Yunus’s acceptance of Pakistan’s invitation, symbolizes a new chapter in Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, with mutual cooperation and dialogue now taking precedence.
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