Diplomatic Correspondent

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Ishaq Dar is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on August 23 to discuss ways to strengthen coordination with Bangladesh.

Ishaq Dar will have a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on August 24 in addition to his other engagements.

Adviser Hossain confirmed this to UNB on Monday afternoon, adding that further details will be shared later.

His previous scheduled visit to Bangladesh in April was postponed amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

“Owing to unforeseen circumstances, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan is unable to undertake the visit to Bangladesh on 27-28 April 2025,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan at that time.

Later, the two sides finalised a new date through mutual consultations.

On April 17, Bangladesh raised historical unsettled issues with Pakistan, including a formal public apology for the atrocities committed against Bangladesh during 1971 War of Liberation by the Pakistan forces and pending financial claims from Pakistan.

"These issues need to be resolved for having a solid foundation of our relations," the then Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bangladesh sees willingness from the Pakistan side to remain engaged on those issues as the talks began between Dhaka and Islamabad after 15 years.

In July last week, Bangladesh and Pakistan expressed deep concern over the ongoing Israeli aggression and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Palestine, reiterating their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause.

The message was conveyed during a meeting between Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, held on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Two-State Solution at the United Nations.

Both expressed the hope for meaningful outcomes from the conference.

This was their fourth meeting since October 2024.

They also reviewed bilateral ties and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political, economic and cultural cooperation, while exploring ways to enhance connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka said.

The two sides agreed to undertake high-level visits in the near future.