Pakistan, Bangladesh bilateral relations on the path of rapid stabilisation. After having almost no engagement since Bangladesh’s independence from what was once East Pakistan, the two countries have at pace developed their bilateral ties following the fall of the Hasina regime in August 2024.

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Now, in an apparent thaw of bilateral relations, bilateral engagements are being planned and executed between the two countries and in a first in many decades, preparations for Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch's visit to Bangladesh are in the final stages. As per diplomatic sources, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry. Foreign Secretary Amina Baloch is set to visit Dhaka to attend the high-level Pak-Bangladesh Political Consultative Meeting in Dhaka on April 17. This meeting is being held in Dhaka after a gap of 13 years, and the last such meeting was held in 2012.

But that’s not just it, the Pak-Bangladesh bilateral political consultative meeting is a major breakthrough in Pak-Bangladesh bilateral diplomatic relations because that can lead to the Pak-Bangladesh joint ministerial commission being revived in the consultative meeting. The last meeting of the Pak-Bangladesh joint ministerial commission was held in 2005. The foreign secretary will also discuss matters related to the upcoming Pak-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission meeting.

Discussions will vary on Free trade agreements, mutual investment agreements, cooperation in the textile sector and other issues including discussions to bring the bilateral relations between the two countries to an institutional level, two people with direct knowledge of the talks told WION.

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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar will pay an important bilateral visit to Bangladesh this month. Sources say he is to be in Bangladesh from April 22 till the 24th. Ishaq Dar will be the first ever Foreign Minister of Pakistan to visit Bangladesh for a bilateral visit — The last foreign minister of Pakistan to visit Bangladesh was Hina Rabbani Khar in 2012, but that was for the D-8 foreign ministers meeting.

After the events of 5th of August in Bangladesh last year, there has been a rapid warming in Pak-Bangladesh relations, which includes abolishment of Visa fees for Bangladesh nationals by Pakistan, frequent calls and letters and in person meeting and exchanges between the two countries leadership.

Pakistan restored trade relations with Bangladesh when a Pakistani cargo ship arrived in Chittagong in November last year. 

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The change of guard has also brought warmth to military relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh. In January 2025, the top military leadership of Bangladesh also visited Islamabad.

In February this year, Pakistan-Bangladesh direct bilateral trade also resumed when Bangladesh imported 26,000 tons of rice from Pakistan.