Hungry to hungry, support the hungry, one poor … the second destitute; Strange story of Pakistan and Bangladesh

Dhaka: A hungry-naked and plight-stricken country has only reached to help another hungry and destitute to show communal unity. Knowing this, you will also laugh that what can a hungry and poor country support another destitute and bad luck? … But Pakistan is now joking with Bangladesh. Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reached Dhaka. He held several meetings one after the other with leaders of various political parties in Bangladesh. Pakistan aims to strengthen bilateral relations with Bangladesh.

Who met Ishaq Dar

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Dar on Saturday met the leaders of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the country’s largest Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami. In addition, he also interacted with leaders of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), a student-led National Citizen, who has the support of the Chief Professor of the Interim Government, Muhammad Yunus. Apart from this, a six -member delegation led by BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met Dar at the Pakistan Embassy in Dhaka.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are increasing friendship

BNP representative Shama Obaid said that the main focus of the meeting was to further strengthen bilateral relations. He said that there was also a discussion on reviving the South Asian Regional Cooperation Organization (SAARC), and Pakistan expressed his desire for fair elections in Bangladesh. After the meeting, a dinner was also held at the residence of the Pakistani Ambassador along with BNP representatives. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdullah Muhammad Tahir also met Dar, whose party was against the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. When asked if he spoke on the incomplete issues of 1971 in the meeting, Tahir said, “These issues are for discussion between the two governments. We hope that the governments will raise them.”

Talk on improving relationships

Senior NCP leader Akhtar Hussain said, “We raised this issue in the meeting and believe that Pakistan should accept the 1971 issue to improve relations.” Later, Dar held a press conference at the Pak Embassy and said that everyone should come to Pakistan and join their counterparts and contribute to this “new phase of partnership”. Dar said that Pakistan is committed to dialogue with all stakeholders, government, political parties, educationists, media, civil society and youth to ensure peace, development and regional prosperity.

Pakistan shows dream to Bangladesh

Dar said that Pakistan and Bangladesh share the same approach on many regional and global issues, such as the revival of the SAARC. Therefore, we should create such an atmosphere, where the youth from Karachi to Chittagong, Quetta to Rajshahi, Peshawar to Sylhet and Lahore to Dhaka unite and realize the shared dreams. Please tell that Dar is the most senior Pakistani leader to visit Bangladesh after 2012. Islamabad described it as “an important milestone in Pak-Bangla relations”. Pakistan Commerce Minister Jamal Khan is already in Bangladesh on a four -day visit to increase bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Hina Rabbani Khar was the last Pakistani Foreign Minister to visit Dhaka in November 2012, when she invited the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the D-8 summit to be held in Islamabad.

Bangladesh welcomed Dar

On Saturday, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam received Dar. Dar will meet Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs advisor Tauhees Hussain on Sunday. He is also going to meet BNP President Khaleda Zia at his residence on Sunday. Bangladesh and Pakistan are expected to sign more than seven bilateral agreements and consent memories (MUS) during their visit, including agreements related to trade, diplomacy, cultural cooperation and strategic studies. Many initiatives such as visa exemption on diplomatic passports, cultural exchange, cooperation among foreign service academies, business and investment groups, cooperation in state news agencies, have already been finalized.

Efforts to compromise on these issues also

The agreement is also being discussed between BSTI (Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute) and Pakistan’s Halal Authority and Agricultural Research Institutes of both countries. Bangladesh and Pakistan’s relations were extremely stressful during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, especially in 2010 when the Bangladesh government started a 1971 war criminals. On 5 August 2024, the student-led movement removed Sheikh Hasina’s government from power and three days later Muhammad Yunus took over as the Chief Advisor to the Interim Government. (PTI)

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