Pakistan, Bangladesh leaders meet to strengthen ties

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar met with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday, discussing expanded cooperation between the two South Asian neighbors as they continue efforts to repair relations strained by their 1971 separation.

The meeting in Dhaka focused on reviving trade connections, enhancing regional connectivity and promoting youth exchanges between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The countries have shown signs of warming ties in recent months after decades of limited diplomatic engagement.

Dar conveyed greetings from Pakistan's Prime Minister and thanked Bangladesh for hospitality during his visit. The leaders also discussed recent regional developments and prospects for broader cooperation, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

The meeting builds on momentum from December, when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Yunus met in Cairo during the D-8 Summit. That encounter led to Bangladesh removing several trade and travel restrictions on Pakistan, including eliminating special security screening for Pakistani passengers at Dhaka airport.

Education initiative launched

Coinciding with Dar's visit, Pakistan announced the "Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor," offering 500 scholarships to Bangladeshi students over five years for higher education in Pakistan.

A quarter of the scholarships will focus on medical studies, with additional training slots for 100 Bangladeshi civil servants. The initiative expands Pakistan's existing technical assistance program from five to 25 annual scholarships for Bangladesh.

Dar confronted on historical issues

Earlier Sunday, when a Bangladeshi journalist asked about "unresolved issues" between the countries, Dar answered by citing past diplomatic encounters rather than directly addressing lingering tensions from the 1971 war.

"In 1974 first time that issue was resolved in writing," Dar said, referencing the 1974 Tripartite Agreement agreement between Pakistan, Bangladesh and India which facilitated the repatriation of prisoners of war and civilian internees and formally marked Pakistan's recognition of Bangladesh's sovereignty.

He also mentioned former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's early 2000s visit to Bangladesh, saying Musharraf spoke "on behalf of the entire nation of Pakistan to entire nation of Bangladesh," alluding to Musharraf's acknowledgement of "regret" over "excesses" committed by Pakistan in 1971.

When pressed further, Dar suggested the matter had been settled twice and invoked Islamic teachings to argue for moving past historical grievances. "The issue was resolved twice, 1974 and then early 2000 when General Musharraf visited," he said.

"Islam tells us to clean your heart so I think let's move forward we have to work together we have bright future," Dar added. "We are a family and we should work together, there's a great potential that we should serve... the peoples of the two country."

Meeting with former PM Khaleda Zia

Dar also met with former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at her residence.

During the visit, Dar expressed his best wishes for Zia's speedy recovery, acknowledging her prolonged health issues. He also conveyed greetings from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan's Deputy PM Mohammad Ishaq Dar meets with former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia in Dhaka, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo)ForeignOfficePk / X

The Deputy Prime Minister praised Zia's contributions to Bangladesh during her tenure as the country's Prime Minister. The meeting also included reminiscences about Zia's diplomatic visit to Pakistan in 2006.

Khaleda Zia, 79, served as Bangladesh's Prime Minister for three terms between 1991 and 2006. She has been dealing with health complications in recent years while remaining the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, one of the country's major political parties.