DPM Dar pushes for stronger bilateral, cultural ties with Bangladeshi political leadership
This is the first visit by Pakistani foreign minister since2012, amid warning ties after decades of strain
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Saturday held separate meeting with Bangladeshi political delegations to discuss reforms, youth engagement, stronger bilateral relations and regional developments, the Foreign Ministry said.
This is the first visit by any Pakistani foreign minister since 2012 and comes amid growing ties between the two countries after nearly two decades of strained relations.
Hina Rabbani Khar was the last foreign minister to travel to Dhaka, where she extended an invitation to then prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid for the D-8 summit. Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh remained tense during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure.
Upon reaching Dhaka, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, arrived in Dhaka today on a landmark official visit from 23–24 August 2025, at the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
At Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister was received by Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Ambassador Asad Alam Siam , High Commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh. Mr. Imran Haider, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan Mr. Muhammad Iqbal Khan and officials of Pakistan High Commission.
During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister will hold important meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership, including Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Adviser for Foreign Affairs Mr. Md. Touhid Hossain, and Adviser for Commerce Mr. SK Bashir Uddin. Discussions will encompass the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation including regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here received a delegation of National Citizen Party (NCP), led by Mr Akhtar Hossain. During the discussion, DPM/FM appreciated the NCP leadership’s vision for reform and social justice. He emphasised the need for greater interaction between the youth of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
For their part, the delegation members appraised the DPM/FM of different facets of countrywide political mobilisation in 2024. The two sides also discussed possibilities to promote cultural exchanges between Pakistan and Bangladesh in the days ahead.
The NCP members, for their part, briefed Dar on “different facets of countrywide political mobilisation in 2024,” the ministry added. Both sides also discussed ways to promote cultural exchanges in the coming months.
Later, Dar met with delegations Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The delegation was led by Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher, Naib Ameer. The ways to strengthen Pakistan-Bangladesh relations and the recent developments in the region were two key areas of discussion. The DPM/FM lauded the courage and steadfastness of the Jamaat leaders and activists in the face of hardships and difficulties.
DPM also met a delegation of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by its Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister expressed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Bangladesh on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. Regional cooperation featured prominently in the discussions, during which Bangladesh’s foundational role in establishing SAARC was fondly acknowledged. The leaders also reflected on past high-level interactions between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The two sides also recalled past high-level interactions between Pakistan and Bangladesh, underscoring the importance of continued political dialogue.
The trip, described as long overdue, had earlier been postponed twice — once in May following heightened Pakistan-India tensions after the Pahalgam attack.
“At the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is on an official visit to Bangladesh from 23–24 August 2025,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
