In another sign of the warming up of ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh, top army officials from both sides met on Tuesday (Jan 14) at the Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that Lieutenant General S M Kamr-ul-Hassan, the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh, and General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), vowed to deepen their bilateral defence cooperation.
The Bangladeshi official also met General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan.
Officials from both sides reaffirmed their commitment to protect their ties from ‘external disruptions’ and to promote regional peace.
Notably, the Bangladeshi army official expressed his ‘deep admiration’ for Pakistan Army’s ‘fight against terrorism’ and their ‘professionalism.’
This comes as Pakistan’s neighbours Afghanistan and India have accused Islamabad in recent days of providing safe haven to ISIS terrorists.
Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister, last week claimed that the Pakistani Army was providing training to ISIS fighters.
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The ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have grown stronger following the ouster of deposed PM Sheikh Hasina in August last year. The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, has already eased the visa process for Pakistanis.
Pakistan-Bangladesh MoU on rice export
Meanwhile, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and the Directorate General of Food of Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for export of rice from Pakistan to Bangladesh, reported Chinese media Xinhua.
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Syed Rafeo Bashir Shah, Chairman of TCP, and Md Abdul Khaleque, director general of the Directorate General of Food of Bangladesh, reportedly signed the agreement on Tuesday in Dhaka.
(With inputs from agencies)