Pakistan Deputy PM To Visit Bangladesh As Dhaka Tilts Towards Islamabad After Hasina’s Fall

Last Updated:August 05, 2025, 14:19 IST

Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister, will visit Dhaka to boost ties. Both nations agreed on visa-free entry for diplomats.

 Ishaq Dar will hold bilateral talks with his Bangladesh counterpart and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. (Photo: AP file)

Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, is scheduled to visit Dhaka later this month to boost ties with Bangladesh. This is the first visit of Pakistan’s foreign minister to Bangladesh in 13 years since Hina Rabbani Khar’s trip.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are giving a fresh impetus to improve bilateral ties after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime in August last year.

After arriving in Dhaka on August 23, Ishaq Dar will hold bilateral talks with his Bangladesh counterpart and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain and is likely to meet Muhammad Yunus. Pakistan’s foreign office is yet to finalise the schedule of Dar’s visit.

According to a top diplomatic source, Dar and Hossain met during the Conference on the Two-State Solution at the United Nations. They discussed the bilateral ties and agreed to visit each other’s countries.

Pakistan-Bangladesh Visa-Free Agreement

Pakistan and Bangladesh have, in principle, agreed to allow Visa-Free Entry to their Diplomatic and Official Passport holders’ staff for smoother travel and entry. Bangladesh’s Home Minister and retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury signed an agreement with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during the latter’s visit to Dhaka.

Both nations have recently signed a visa-free entry agreement for diplomats and government officials. Sources claim that this agreement will particularly benefit military officials from both sides, enabling easier movement and more direct engagement.

Pakistan-Bangladesh Security Cooperation

After the visit by Pakistan’s top political delegation, a security delegation from Islamabad is likely to visit Dhaka in a couple of weeks to discuss military, security and strategic cooperation between the two nations.

A high-level military delegation from Bangladesh recently visited Pakistan to explore avenues for enhanced military and strategic cooperation. The delegation toured Heavy Industries Taxila, Pakistan’s primary defence production hub, and expressed interest in Pakistan’s weapons industry, including Khalid tanks, mortars, drones, and the JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, jointly developed by Pakistan and China.

Pakistan’s SIFC To Facilitate Bangladeshi Investments

According to top military sources, the Pakistan Army has set up a dedicated desk for Bangladesh at the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters in Islamabad. This desk—similar to those already operating for Kashmir and Afghanistan—is headed by a Major General-rank officer designated as Director General, Bangladesh Desk.

The Bangladesh Desk will oversee daily developments related to Bangladesh and coordinate with Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The SIFC will assist Bangladeshi businessmen and investors with smoother investment procedures, financial transitions, and visa facilitation. The ISI desk will also provide security and ensure hassle-free access for Bangladeshi military officials, top businessmen, and investors visiting Pakistan.

Policy Shift After Regime Change In Dhaka

Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, Dhaka has shown increasing interest in redefining its foreign policy orientation towards Islamabad. Pakistan has responded proactively, initiating military training programmes for Bangladeshi officers. Over the past year, more than 13 high-level security meetings have taken place between the military officials of both countries, reflecting growing bilateral defence cooperation.

News world Pakistan Deputy PM To Visit Bangladesh As Dhaka Tilts Towards Islamabad After Hasina’s Fall

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