Pakistan and Bangladesh Leaders Agree to Strengthen Bilateral Relations

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus met on Friday during the sidelines of the 11th D-8 summit in Cairo, Egypt, where they agreed to expand and deepen their bilateral ties, Muslim Mirror reported yesterday.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Sharif highlighted the “historical, religious, and cultural connections” between the two nations and expressed Pakistan’s eagerness to enhance cooperation, especially in trade, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people interactions. He praised Bangladesh for its recent initiatives to facilitate trade and travel, including the removal of the requirement for 100% physical inspection of consignments from Pakistan and the abolishment of a special security desk at Dhaka airport that was set up to scrutinize Pakistani passengers. Additionally, he thanked Bangladesh for lifting additional clearance requirements for Pakistani visa applicants.

Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate and pioneer in microfinance, has taken on the role of interim leader of Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina left the country following a popular uprising in August. The historical backdrop is important as Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, and relations had been strained during the previous government. However, the recent political developments in Dhaka have led to renewed hopes for improved bilateral relations.