The meeting between Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Sunday marked a rare moment of political engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh’s opposition leadership, reviving memories of long-standing but complicated ties between the two countries.
Dar, who is the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit Bangladesh in 13 years, called on Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence, where discussions reportedly touched on regional cooperation, the state of bilateral relations, and South Asia’s political landscape. Though details of the conversation remain limited, the very optics of the meeting carry weight at a time when Bangladesh’s domestic politics is under close regional and international scrutiny.
Khaleda, chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has long symbolised an alternative political pole to the ruling Awami League. Her meeting with a senior Pakistani leader underscores both the historic roots of BNP’s engagement with Pakistan and Islamabad’s willingness to signal outreach beyond official government-to-government contacts. For Dar, who also met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and emphasised SAARC revitalisation, the engagement with Khaleda broadens the scope of Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach in Dhaka.
BNP Standing Committee Member Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar visited BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday to enquire about her health and wish her a speedy recovery.
The meeting began around 7 pm at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan residence ‘Firoza’ and lasted about 45 minutes. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Dr Zahid were present, while Ishaq Dar was accompanied by a six-member delegation, including Pakistan’s High Commissioner Imran Haider.
After the meeting, Dr Zahid briefed journalists, saying the Pakistani minister met the ailing former prime minister, exchanged pleasantries, and conveyed well wishes on behalf of Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
He added that discussions touched on strengthening bilateral relations and the importance of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), but no issues related to Bangladesh’s domestic politics were raised.
The meeting inevitably evokes historical context. Pakistan and Bangladesh continue to share a fraught legacy rooted in 1971, yet bilateral relations have oscillated between cautious cooperation and lingering mistrust. The BNP, during its years in power, often pursued warmer relations with Islamabad, contrasting with the Awami League’s emphasis on closer ties with India. Against this backdrop, Dar’s call on Khaleda can be interpreted as more than a courtesy—it is a symbolic reaffirmation of political channels that have historically shaped Dhaka–Islamabad relations.
Analysts suggest the timing is significant. As Bangladesh undergoes political transition under the caretaker administration of Prof Muhammad Yunus, Pakistan appears to be engaging with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Meeting the BNP leader—still a towering figure despite frail health and limited political mobility—reflects Islamabad’s interest in maintaining a balanced approach to South Asian politics.
Yet the diplomatic impact may be limited. India’s deep influence in Bangladesh, coupled with the fragile state of SAARC, constrains the possibilities of any immediate breakthrough. Still, the Dar–Khaleda meeting highlights the persistence of alternative political linkages in South Asia, even as governments grapple with competing regional alignments such as BIMSTEC.
In this sense, the meeting was not only about bilateral symbolism but also about the contested future of regional diplomacy. Whether such gestures evolve into meaningful engagement will depend on how Dhaka, Islamabad, and New Delhi recalibrate their strategies in a shifting South Asian order.
It is worth noting that late President Ziaur Rahman, husband of Khaleda Zia, played a pivotal role in advancing regional cooperation in South Asia, recognising that collective action among neighbouring countries was crucial for improving the lives of millions affected by poverty, illiteracy, and underdevelopment. He actively promoted economic collaboration, cultural exchange, and people-to-people contacts as means to foster stability and shared prosperity across the region.
Zia's most significant initiative was the establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 1985, which united Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka under a single regional framework. While SAARC achieved some progress in areas such as disaster management and cultural programmes, it largely fell short of its broader objectives of economic integration and political cooperation.
Enduring political tensions, particularly the longstanding rivalry between India and Pakistan, repeatedly stalled summits and hampered joint initiatives, preventing the organisation from fulfilling Ziaur Rahman’s vision of a united and prosperous South Asia. Despite these challenges, his efforts remain a benchmark in regional diplomacy and continue to inspire contemporary leaders seeking to revitalise cooperation across the subcontinent.
Comments
The meeting between Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Sunday marked a rare moment of political engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh’s opposition leadership, reviving memories of long-standing but complicated ties between the two countries.
Dar, who is the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit Bangladesh in 13 years, called on Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence, where discussions reportedly touched on regional cooperation, the state of bilateral relations, and South Asia’s political landscape. Though details of the conversation remain limited, the very optics of the meeting carry weight at a time when Bangladesh’s domestic politics is under close regional and international scrutiny.
Khaleda, chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has long symbolised an alternative political pole to the ruling Awami League. Her meeting with a senior Pakistani leader underscores both the historic roots of BNP’s engagement with Pakistan and Islamabad’s willingness to signal outreach beyond official government-to-government contacts. For Dar, who also met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and emphasised SAARC revitalisation, the engagement with Khaleda broadens the scope of Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach in Dhaka.
BNP Standing Committee Member Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar visited BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday to enquire about her health and wish her a speedy recovery.
The meeting began around 7 pm at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan residence ‘Firoza’ and lasted about 45 minutes. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Dr Zahid were present, while Ishaq Dar was accompanied by a six-member delegation, including Pakistan’s High Commissioner Imran Haider.
After the meeting, Dr Zahid briefed journalists, saying the Pakistani minister met the ailing former prime minister, exchanged pleasantries, and conveyed well wishes on behalf of Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
He added that discussions touched on strengthening bilateral relations and the importance of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), but no issues related to Bangladesh’s domestic politics were raised.
The meeting inevitably evokes historical context. Pakistan and Bangladesh continue to share a fraught legacy rooted in 1971, yet bilateral relations have oscillated between cautious cooperation and lingering mistrust. The BNP, during its years in power, often pursued warmer relations with Islamabad, contrasting with the Awami League’s emphasis on closer ties with India. Against this backdrop, Dar’s call on Khaleda can be interpreted as more than a courtesy—it is a symbolic reaffirmation of political channels that have historically shaped Dhaka–Islamabad relations.
Analysts suggest the timing is significant. As Bangladesh undergoes political transition under the caretaker administration of Prof Muhammad Yunus, Pakistan appears to be engaging with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Meeting the BNP leader—still a towering figure despite frail health and limited political mobility—reflects Islamabad’s interest in maintaining a balanced approach to South Asian politics.
Yet the diplomatic impact may be limited. India’s deep influence in Bangladesh, coupled with the fragile state of SAARC, constrains the possibilities of any immediate breakthrough. Still, the Dar–Khaleda meeting highlights the persistence of alternative political linkages in South Asia, even as governments grapple with competing regional alignments such as BIMSTEC.
In this sense, the meeting was not only about bilateral symbolism but also about the contested future of regional diplomacy. Whether such gestures evolve into meaningful engagement will depend on how Dhaka, Islamabad, and New Delhi recalibrate their strategies in a shifting South Asian order.
It is worth noting that late President Ziaur Rahman, husband of Khaleda Zia, played a pivotal role in advancing regional cooperation in South Asia, recognising that collective action among neighbouring countries was crucial for improving the lives of millions affected by poverty, illiteracy, and underdevelopment. He actively promoted economic collaboration, cultural exchange, and people-to-people contacts as means to foster stability and shared prosperity across the region.
Zia's most significant initiative was the establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 1985, which united Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka under a single regional framework. While SAARC achieved some progress in areas such as disaster management and cultural programmes, it largely fell short of its broader objectives of economic integration and political cooperation.
Enduring political tensions, particularly the longstanding rivalry between India and Pakistan, repeatedly stalled summits and hampered joint initiatives, preventing the organisation from fulfilling Ziaur Rahman’s vision of a united and prosperous South Asia. Despite these challenges, his efforts remain a benchmark in regional diplomacy and continue to inspire contemporary leaders seeking to revitalise cooperation across the subcontinent.
Comments