- Pakistan and Bangladesh signed a visa exemption for official and diplomatic passport holders
- The agreement was reached during Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Bangladesh
- Four MoUs were signed on trade, foreign service, news agency, and strategic studies cooperation
Pakistan and Bangladesh have signed a visa exemption agreement for holders of official and diplomatic passports - a first since East Pakistan was liberated and Bangladesh was formed in 1971. This means Bangladeshis and Pakistanis with diplomatic and official passports will be able to travel without visas. The agreement was reached during the ongoing visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Bangladesh and Pakistan have been inching closer as India-Bangladesh ties have deteriorated since August last year. India is closely watching the developments as Pakistan has always harboured intentions of carrying out anti-India activities from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh and Pakistan have also signed four MoUs during the visit, which include the formation of a Joint Working Group on trade issues, cooperation between the foreign service academies of both countries, cooperation between the state news agencies of Bangladesh (BSS) and Pakistan (APP) and cooperation between the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
The Pakistani establishment and the Pakistani army committed atrocities and orchestrated a genocide during the 1971 liberation war.
Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar however, made a stunning claim on Bangladeshi soil which has now been rebuffed by Dhaka. Ishaq Dar has claimed that two out of three unresolved issues related to 1971, including an apology for the genocide, have already been settled twice.
Bangladesh Interim Government's Foreign adviser Touhid Hossain disagreed with Ishaq Dar's claim and said both countries will continue discussions on the pending bilateral matters in the future.
The Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, stressed on the revitalization of SAARC in his meeting with Mr Dar, who had paid a courtesy call on him today at the State Guest House Jamuna.
The two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties, boosting trade, youth-to-youth exchanges, increased education and cultural exchanges and revitalizing regional cooperation through SAARC.
Mr Dar conveyed greetings from Pakistan's Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. "Our Prime Minister sends you his best wishes," Mr Dar told Mr Yunus. "Every time Prime Minister Sharif and I met, we spoke about SAARC. Our visions are aligned, and SAARC remains a top priority for both of us," Muhammad Yunus responded.
Mr Dar has also visited BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence on Sunday. The BNP was the main opposition party during the Sheikh Hasina regime and is considered to be a front-runner during the upcoming elections.
Ishaq Dar also met ailing Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman at his residence. The Jamaat-E-Islami Bangladesh is a hardline Islamic party and has always had close ties with Pakistan. The Jamaat was banned during the Hasina regime due to terror links. The ban was overturned after Muhammad Yunus Other top Jamaat leaders were also present at the meeting.
India has kept a close eye on Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister's visit to Bangladesh amid growing instances of anti-India statements emerging from Bangladesh. With a reset in Bangladesh Pakistan ties, there are concerns over Pakistan using Bangladesh to carry out anti-India activities.
