Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar is in Dhaka on a two-day official visit (23–24 August 2025), marking the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in nearly 13 years, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed.
Dar was welcomed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Muhammad Iqbal Khan, and senior officials of the Pakistan High Commission.
During his stay, the deputy prime minister is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Adviser for Foreign Affairs Md Touhid Hossain, and Adviser for Commerce SK Bashir Uddin. Talks will cover the full spectrum of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations, as well as key regional and international issues of mutual concern, the FO spokesperson said.
As part of his outreach to political stakeholders, Dar also met delegations from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens Party (NCP). In his meeting with Jamaat leaders led by Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher, he discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties and reviewed regional developments. He praised the resilience of Jamaat leaders and activists “in the face of hardships and challenges.”
Later, Dar held talks with an NCP delegation led by Akhtar Hossain, where he commended the party’s vision for reform and social justice. He also stressed the importance of greater youth-to-youth engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh and highlighted the potential for expanding cultural exchanges in the future.
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The visit, according to the Foreign Office, is a “milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations” and is expected to pave the way for renewed diplomatic, political, and economic cooperation between the two countries.
