CA calls for stronger ties with Pakistan

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday put emphasis on strengthening ties with Pakistan to boost mutual cooperation and explore trade and business potential.

He made the call when Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna in the capital.

"There are certain hurdles. We have to find ways to overcome those and move forward," the chief adviser told Baloch, who led the Pakistani side during the foreign secretary-level bilateral consultations held between the two countries after a gap of 15 years.

Referring to the past, Baloch said Bangladesh and Pakistan must find ways to "harness the potentials between the two countries."

"We have huge intra-regional markets on our own rights. We should use it," Baloch said. "We can't miss the bus every time."

She said there is a need for regular business-to-business (B2B) interactions between the private sectors of the two countries and exchange visits at all levels.

In January 2025, a delegation of Pakistan's apex business body the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) visited Bangladesh and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).

The Pakistan foreign secretary hoped the upcoming visit of the country's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar at the end of April would further strengthen relations between the two nations.

The chief adviser said he always preferred closer ties with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, in the framework of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

He said Bangladesh and Pakistan should exchange more youth and cultural programmes between the two countries to increase the people-to-people bonding.

"We kept missing each other for a long time as our relationship was frozen. We have to overcome the barriers," he also said.

Yunus recalled his meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2024 and in Cairo on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in December that year, saying those were key to making progress in bilateral relations.

He said Bangladesh and Pakistan will continue to work closely at multilateral and regional forums like SAARC, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and D-8.

Principal Coordinator for SDG affairs Lamiya Morshed and Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Syed Ahmed Maroof were present, among others.

Earlier, briefing the press about the foreign office consultation (FOC) meeting between Bangladesh and Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh sought resolution of the pending issues between the two nations, including a formal apology for the 1971 Liberation War atrocities, distribution of the undivided assets worth 4.3 billion dollars, and repatriation of the stranded Pakistanis numbering over 0.3 million.

In response, the Pakistan side said they will remain engaged in these matters, the foreign secretary said.

"We have raised the historically unresolved issues with Pakistan," he told newsmen after FOC with his Pakistan counterpart Baloch.

He said the issues included the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, equitable distribution of undivided assets, transfer of foreign aid funds sent for the victims of the 1970 cyclone, and a formal public apology for the genocide committed by the then Pakistani military in 1971.

We said this is the right time to settle the historical unsettled issues," he said, adding these issues were needed to be resolved to have a "solid foundation of our relations" for mutual benefits and interests.

This was the first foreign secretary-level Dhaka-Islamabad FOC in 15 years. After the talks, the visiting Pakistani foreign secretary called on the chief adviser and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain separately and discussed issues of mutual interests.

The Pakistan foreign minister will arrive in Dhaka on April 27 on a two-day visit, the foreign secretary said, adding further discussions will be held between the two sides.

He informed that Bangladesh has already given permission to a Pakistani airline to conduct direct flight operations between the two countries. He also said one more Pakistani airline will be given permission.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com