Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 23, 2025, for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

This visit follows the April 2025 visit of Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch to Dhaka, which marked a resumption of diplomatic engagement after about a decade and a half of frosty relations. Ishaq Dar’s trip had originally been planned for April 27 but was postponed due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April.

During his visit, Dar is expected to meet with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and hold formal bilateral talks with Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. The agenda includes various aspects of bilateral cooperation, such as unresolved issues stemming from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, including Bangladesh’s demand for a formal apology from Pakistan for wartime atrocities.

Other longstanding matters such as the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh and the division of pre-independence assets are also likely to be discussed.

In addition to addressing these sensitive historical issues, the talks will cover enhancing cooperation in trade, connectivity, cultural exchanges, and coordination on regional and international developments. There are expectations of signing several agreements, including memoranda of understanding, notably on cooperation between the foreign service academies and cultural exchange programs.

Recent developments have seen improved connectivity between the two countries; visa restrictions imposed on Pakistani citizens during former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure have been relaxed, and shipping services between Chittagong and Karachi have resumed.

This visit comes amid a wider warming of diplomatic and economic ties following the political change in Bangladesh after the student-led uprising in August 2024 that led to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina.

In parallel, Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan is set to visit Dhaka on August 21 for four days, focusing on boosting trade ties, and Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is expected to visit later in the year for the Joint Economic Commission meeting, signalling multi-level engagement in the bilateral relationship.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s interim government has announced that the next general election will be held in February 2026, a significant political milestone forecast during Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s national address marking the anniversary of the uprising that brought change to the country's leadership. This sets a broader political context for Pakistan's diplomatic outreach to Bangladesh amid evolving regional dynamics.

Based On ANI Report