Monday, 25 August, 2025
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, held a series of high-profile political meetings in Dhaka on Saturday during his two-day official visit to Bangladesh, engaging with senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Dar first sat down with a BNP delegation led by the party’s Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, at the Pakistan High Commission in Gulshan. The hour-long meeting, held between 6:25 pm and 7:15 pm, was described as cordial and constructive by BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan.
During the talks, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen relations with Bangladesh on the basis of mutual respect, shared interests, and regional cooperation. He highlighted Bangladesh’s pivotal role in the creation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), noting that its active engagement remained essential to regional peace and prosperity. Both sides also revisited the history of past high-level engagements, voicing optimism for a new era of diplomatic momentum between Islamabad and Dhaka.
The BNP delegation comprised senior Standing Committee members Dr Abdul Moin Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Selima Rahman, alongside Vice Chairman and former Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and International Affairs Committee member Shama Obaid.
On the Pakistani side, Dar was joined by High Commissioner Imran Haider, former High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Tariq Bajwa, and senior foreign ministry officials, including Directors General Ilyas Mahmud Nizami and Muhammad Umair Latif, Director Dildar Ali Abro, and Deputy Chief of Protocol Hafiz Ullah.
Earlier in the evening, Dar met a delegation of the National Citizen Party (NCP) led by General Secretary Akhtar Hossain. According to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Dar commended the NCP’s vision for social justice and reform, stressing the importance of greater youth engagement between the two countries. The discussions also touched on cultural exchanges and people-to-people connectivity.
This was followed by a meeting with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, led by Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher. The dialogue focused on regional developments and the future of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations. According to Islamabad’s statement, Dar praised the “courage and steadfastness” of Jamaat leaders and activists “in the face of hardships,” reflecting Pakistan’s attempt to reach out to a broad spectrum of Bangladeshi political forces.
Dar arrived in Dhaka earlier on Saturday afternoon aboard a special flight, where he was received by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s packed schedule underscores Islamabad’s renewed push to expand its diplomatic footprint in South Asia. His Dhaka visit is not only aimed at engaging with the interim government but also with key political stakeholders shaping Bangladesh’s evolving political landscape.
Dar is also expected to call on former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence later during his trip.
Diplomatic observers say these discussions represent a significant step toward revitalising Pakistan-Bangladesh ties, with both sides signalling interest in future cooperation across political, economic, and cultural spheres despite the two nations’ complex history.
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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, held a series of high-profile political meetings in Dhaka on Saturday during his two-day official visit to Bangladesh, engaging with senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Dar first sat down with a BNP delegation led by the party’s Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, at the Pakistan High Commission in Gulshan. The hour-long meeting, held between 6:25 pm and 7:15 pm, was described as cordial and constructive by BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan.
During the talks, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen relations with Bangladesh on the basis of mutual respect, shared interests, and regional cooperation. He highlighted Bangladesh’s pivotal role in the creation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), noting that its active engagement remained essential to regional peace and prosperity. Both sides also revisited the history of past high-level engagements, voicing optimism for a new era of diplomatic momentum between Islamabad and Dhaka.
The BNP delegation comprised senior Standing Committee members Dr Abdul Moin Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Selima Rahman, alongside Vice Chairman and former Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and International Affairs Committee member Shama Obaid.
On the Pakistani side, Dar was joined by High Commissioner Imran Haider, former High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Tariq Bajwa, and senior foreign ministry officials, including Directors General Ilyas Mahmud Nizami and Muhammad Umair Latif, Director Dildar Ali Abro, and Deputy Chief of Protocol Hafiz Ullah.
Earlier in the evening, Dar met a delegation of the National Citizen Party (NCP) led by General Secretary Akhtar Hossain. According to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Dar commended the NCP’s vision for social justice and reform, stressing the importance of greater youth engagement between the two countries. The discussions also touched on cultural exchanges and people-to-people connectivity.
This was followed by a meeting with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, led by Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher. The dialogue focused on regional developments and the future of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations. According to Islamabad’s statement, Dar praised the “courage and steadfastness” of Jamaat leaders and activists “in the face of hardships,” reflecting Pakistan’s attempt to reach out to a broad spectrum of Bangladeshi political forces.
Dar arrived in Dhaka earlier on Saturday afternoon aboard a special flight, where he was received by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s packed schedule underscores Islamabad’s renewed push to expand its diplomatic footprint in South Asia. His Dhaka visit is not only aimed at engaging with the interim government but also with key political stakeholders shaping Bangladesh’s evolving political landscape.
Dar is also expected to call on former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence later during his trip.
Diplomatic observers say these discussions represent a significant step toward revitalising Pakistan-Bangladesh ties, with both sides signalling interest in future cooperation across political, economic, and cultural spheres despite the two nations’ complex history.
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