Close on the arrival of a top Pakistan Army general to Dhaka on October 24, two federal ministers landed in the Bangladeshi capital today, reflecting the continuing deepening in ties on the security and commercial fronts, between the once-estranged countries.
While General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan is being accorded the highest honour by the Mohammad Yunus-led interim regime as well as Bangladesh’s armed forces, the arrival of Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, and Ali Pervaiz Malik Federal Minister for Energy and Petroleum did not receive as much media attention as that of the top Pakistan Army officer.
Cheema is leading a nine-member delegation of senior officers and Malik is heading a six-member strong team of bureaucrats. Both sides will hold separate ministerial and official level discussions with their Bangladeshi counterparts.
Previously, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was on a two-day visit to Bangladesh in the third week of August.
On August 21, Pakistan Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan reached Bangladesh for a four-day official visit.
Four memoranda of understanding were signed between Khan and his Sheikh Bashir Uddin who is the Bangladesh Commerce Ministry Adviser.
Despite the frequent visits of senior Pakistan Army officers, ministers and bureaucrats to Bangladesh, there has been little or no reaction from the Indian External Affairs ministry which has been found wanting in formulating any cohesive diplomatic response to the growing and deepening ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, especially since August 8, 2024, when Mohammad Yunus took charge as Chief Adviser of an interim government.
The Bangladesh government and the armed forces have not shied away from projecting and publicising the visits of the Pakistani guests.
Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hassan, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, was the first senior Bangladesh Army officer to visit Pakistan in early January 2025.
This was followed later the same month with the arrival in Dhaka of a three-member Pakistan ISI team led by a major general.
In April, Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Aamna Baloch, visited Dhaka on April 16 for a two-day visit to hold consultations with her the then counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin, as well as Foreign Ministry Adviser Touhid Hussein. This meeting took place after a gap of 15 years.
