Relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan are experiencing a historic thaw following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August. Official exchanges between the two nations are increasing, and the Pakistani government, along with business groups, hopes to raise annual trade with Bangladesh to $3 billion-more than four times the current level-within a year, reports Nikkei Asia.
Ties between Dhaka and Islamabad have been tense whenever Hasina and her Awami League were in power, but relations improved under Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led governments. Relations reached a historic low after Hasina's third term began in 2014, but her removal from power has created an opportunity for a reset.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, leader of Bangladesh interim government, met twice last year at global events. On Jan. 14, Gen. S.M. Kamrul Hassan, a high-ranking Bangladesh military officer, visited Islamabad to meet with Pakistan army chief, Gen. Asim Munir.
Another high-profile exchange was the visit by a delegation from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Pakistan's top trade body, to Bangladesh last week. This was the first visit by a trade delegation in over a decade, and the group met with Bangladesh's commerce minister, officials from the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Bangladeshi business people.
During the trip, a memorandum of understanding was signed to form the Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Business Council. The Pakistani delegation called for a free trade agreement between the countries.
"The minister of commerce of Bangladesh told us that Bangladesh prefers Pakistani businesses for imports," said Saqib Fayyaz Magoon, senior vice president of FPCCI, who was part of the delegation.
