Md. Shahjahan Bashar Dhaka Correspondent:
A high-level diplomatic meeting is going to be held between Bangladeshand Pakistan after a long time. Preparations have been made to sign six agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoU) between the two countries around this meeting. The meeting will be held in Dhaka today, Saturday. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit.
Ishaq Dar started his tour schedule with a breakfast meeting with the Trade Advisor on Saturday morning. At 10 am, a private meeting between Foreign Advisor Md. Towhid Hossain and Ishaq Dar will be followed by a formal foreign minister-level bilateral meeting.
The Bangladesh delegation will be led by Foreign Advisor Md. Towhid Hossain and the Pakistani delegation will be led by Ishaq Dar.
The government has organized a luncheon after the meeting. At 4:15 pm, the Chief Advisor to the Interim Government, Professor Dr. The Pakistani Foreign Minister will pay a courtesy call on Muhammad Yunus. He will then hold a meeting with the Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman and senior government officials.
During his visit, Ishaq Dar will also pay a courtesy call on BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Jamaat-e-IslamiAmeer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman at their residences. He will leave Dhaka on a special flight on Sunday night.
Sources said that the following six agreements and understandings may be signed during the meeting—
- Visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders
- Agreement on cultural exchange between Bangladeshand Pakistan
- Training and cooperation agreement between the Foreign Service Academies of the two countries
- Formation of a joint group to increase trade and investment
- Cooperation agreement between the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and a like-minded research institute in Pakistan
- Memorandum of Understanding between Bangladesh Sangbad Sangsats (BSS) and Pakistan‘s state news agency
In addition, talks are underway to sign a memorandum of understanding between the quality control agency and the agricultural research institute.
Diplomatic sources said that the meeting will discuss in detail the political cooperation between the two countries, economy, trade, increasing interconnection, defense sector, combating militancy, geopolitics of South Asia and activating SAARC.
Bangladesh will also raise issues such as unconditional apology for the massacre by Pakistani forces during the 1971 liberation war, compensation, repatriation of Pakistanisstranded in Bangladesh, share of assets and payment of foreign aid dues after the 1970 cyclone in the meeting.
Ishaq Dar was welcomed by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam when he arrived in Dhaka on Saturday. He is the third minister from Pakistan to visit Dhaka since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government last year. Pakistani Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Dhaka last July and Pakistan‘s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived last Wednesday.
After arriving in Dhaka, Ishaq Dar attended a reception organized by the Pakistan High Commission. During this time, he met with representatives of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party, academics, politicians and some civil society representatives.