On Thursday, after almost 15 years apart, Bangladesh and Pakistan will hold a Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) at the level of a foreign secretary in Dhaka.
As revealed to BSS today by a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch is expected to go to Dhaka tomorrow (Wednesday) to lead her nation’s delegation during the negotiations.
Bangladesh’s delegation to the FOC, which will take place in the state guest house Padma, will be led by Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin.
“The two sides are expected to discuss the entire range of bilateral issues,” the official said noting that while no specific agenda has been fixed, all areas of mutual interest are likely to be covered during the discussion,” she said. The official said, “After such a long hiatus, it is difficult to prioritize topics in advance, but the talks will be comprehensive.”
Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Md Iqbal Hussain Khan, who is currently in Dhaka to attend the meeting, told BSS that Islamabad is particularly keen to enhance trade ties with Dhaka.
“Pakistan sees potential for boosting exports to Bangladesh, especially if their products are price competitive,” he said, citing cotton as a major item that Pakistan is interested in supplying.
The ambassador went on to say that Bangladesh has the opportunity to investigate importing through Pakistan as long as transportation expenses are low because the country acts as a gateway for goods from Afghanistan and Iran.
Regarding direct air connectivity, High Commissioner Khan stated that Air Sial, a Sialkot-based commercial airline, has applied to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to run flights to Dhaka, in addition to Fly Jinnah, another Pakistani private carrier.
“Fly Jinnah is currently waiting to expand its fleet before launching Dhaka operations, while Air Sial is expected to begin direct flights within two months of receiving approval,” he said.
The direct air link is anticipated to boost tourism and promote greater people-to-people contact between the two countries, the envoy noted.
In response to a question concerning unsolved historical concerns between the two countries, the high commissioner stated that while these issues frequently arise in bilateral relations around the world, they shouldn’t impede contemporary engagement or economic collaboration.
Following the FOC on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Baloch is anticipated to make courtesy calls on Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus while she is in Dhaka.
Later this month, Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Pakistan, is also expected to travel to Dhaka. Since 2012, this will be the first time a Pakistani foreign minister has visited.
“We are still finalizing the date, but the visit is likely to take place in the last week of April,” the foreign ministry official said.
The last FOC between Bangladesh and Pakistan was held in 2010.
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