Pak FM Ishaq Dar Visits Bangladesh In Landmark Diplomatic Push After Sheikh Hasina’s Exit

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Dhaka on August 23 for a two-day official visit, marking the highest-level Pakistani visit to Bangladesh in more than a decade.

The trip, described by Islamabad as a “significant milestone,” comes in the wake of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster and signals renewed efforts to reset strained bilateral ties.

Dar, who landed on a special aircraft, was welcomed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam. His visit follows the April 2012 trip of Hina Rabbani Khar, making this the first senior Pakistani engagement in Dhaka in over 12 years.

According to Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry, Dar will hold formal talks with Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain on August 24, with as many as six agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) expected to be signed. His schedule also includes meetings with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami.

What Agreements Are Expected During Dar’s Bangladesh Visit?

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said discussions would cover “the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.”

Dar’s long-planned trip was initially scheduled for April but was postponed due to heightened tensions with India after the Pahalgam terror attack. However, diplomatic engagement resumed in April when Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka for the first time in 15 years.

The visit coincides with a parallel trip by Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, who met Bangladeshi officials to revive economic ties, including a proposal to form a new Trade and Investment Commission and reconvene the long-dormant Joint Economic Commission. He also engaged Bangladeshi business leaders in Chattogram to encourage direct “business-to-business” partnerships.

Officials confirmed that several agreements have been finalized, including a visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders, cultural and academic cooperation, joint research in strategic studies, and collaboration between state-run news agencies. Talks are also underway for pacts between Bangladesh’s Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and Pakistan’s Halal Authority, as well as agricultural research bodies.

How Does Sheikh Hasina’s Ouster Change Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations?

Relations between Dhaka and Islamabad had reached their lowest point under Hasina’s Awami League government, particularly after war crimes trials related to the 1971 Liberation War. However, her ouster in August 2024, amid a student-led uprising, has opened space for renewed Pakistan-Bangladesh ties, even as relations with India have cooled.

New Delhi, meanwhile, has expressed concerns about Pakistan’s growing influence in Dhaka and the possible reactivation of extremist networks, which had been tightly curbed during Hasina’s rule.