ISLAMABAD – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has departed on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of the Bangladeshi government.
During his stay in Dhaka, Dar is scheduled to hold important meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership, including Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Adviser on Foreign Affairs Muhammad Touhid Hossain.
According to the Foreign Office, this is the first visit by any Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in 13 years. The meetings will cover all aspects of bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues.
Bangladesh waives visa requirement for Pakistani officials after 1971
In a significant development, Bangladesh has lifted the visa requirement for Pakistani officials for the first time since 1971.
The agreement, valid for five years, allows holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries to travel without visas.
The decision was approved by Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.
At a press conference in Dhaka, Yunus’s press secretary Shafique Islam said that Bangladesh already has similar visa-exemption agreements with 31 other countries.
Under this new arrangement, Pakistani officials will now also be allowed visa-free entry into Bangladesh.
