B’Desh holds first Foreign Ministry consultation with Pakistan 15 years later on Thursday
It said Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister M Jashim Uddin will lead the Bangladesh side, where both sides are expected to discuss the entire bilateral issue.
The official said there was no specific agenda for negotiations, as all areas of common interest might be covered during the discussions.
“After such a long time of vacation, it’s difficult to prioritize the topic in advance, but the talks will be comprehensive,” the official said.
BALOCH is expected to be courteous to the Interim Government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and diplomatic adviser M Touhid Hossain.
The High Commissioner of Bangladesh, who is currently attending a meeting in Dhaka, came to Pakistan M IQBAL HUSSAIN KHAN, who told BSS that Islamabad was particularly keen on strengthening its trade relations with Dhaka. “Pakistan believes it is possible to increase exports to Bangladesh, especially if their products are competitive,” he said, citing cotton as a major project in which Pakistan is interested in exports. He added that since Pakistan is the gateway to goods from Afghanistan and Iran, Bangladesh has room to explore imports through Pakistan as long as the transportation costs are low.
Bangladesh has resumed direct trade with Pakistan for the first time since its independence in 1971, shipped 50,000 tons of rice for the first time, leaving Qasim port out of Qasim port under a government-government agreement in February.
However, business sources said Pakistani rice is higher than Vietnamese rice, and Bangladesh imports are $474.25 per ton.
Dhaka-Islamabad relations were at their lowest level during the regime of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, especially since 2010 when Dhaka began trials of stubborn collaborators of Pakistani forces during the 1971 Liberation War in Bangladesh.
But the ties have taken a positive attitude since the Yunus Provisional Government seized power after the removal of Hasina after the student-led uprising strike last August 5.
Officials say Pakistan’s private airline Jinnah has obtained customs clearance from Bangladesh for flights between Dhaka and Karachi, while another Pakistani private operator, Air Sial, is also suitable for flight operations by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) (CAAB).
Asked about unresolved historical issues between the two countries, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Pakistan said such issues often persist in global bilateral relations but should not hinder current participation or economic cooperation.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Dhaka later this month, which will be a girl visit from Pakistan’s Foreign Minister since 2012.
“We are still finalizing the date, but this visit may take place in the last week of April,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The last focus between Bangladesh and Pakistan was held in 2010.
