Bangladesh waives visa requirements for senior Pakistani officials and diplomats
This is done for the first time since 1971, when the country gained independence through war. The agreement, which will last for five years and follows a meeting of senior Pakistani government ministers visiting Bangladesh, reflects a new balance of power following Sheikh Hasina's flight a year ago. In addition to visas, the two countries sign cooperation agreements in education, media, and trade.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – Amid growing tensions across Asia, from the Middle East to the Pacific region, recent signs suggest that the new geopolitical balance in South Asia is easing tensions between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
For the first time since 1971, Bangladesh has decided to waive visa requirements for Pakistani diplomatic passport holders and senior officials on official visits to the country; and further bilateral agreements are planned for the near future.
The visa measure will be valid for a period of five years, but could be extended.
The Advisory Council of Bangladesh’s interim administration, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus that replaced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina just over a year ago, has approved a mutual visa waiver plan with Pakistan.
"The agreement will last for five years. Holders of diplomatic and official passports will be able to travel to Pakistan without a visa,” said Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Muhammad Yunus, who also noted that Bangladesh already has similar arrangements with 31 other countries.
In addition to diplomats, senior Pakistani officials will also be granted visa-free entry into Bangladesh as well.
This development follows last month's meeting in Dhaka between Bangladesh's Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, during which the two sides said they were working on a memorandum of understanding.
Visa-free travel between the two South Asian countries had been suspended since the 1971 war that led to Bangladesh's independence.
Relations between Dhaka and Islamabad have improved in recent months, particularly after the August 2024 unrest that led to the collapse of the government of Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the late “Father of the nation” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh to independence 50 years ago, who fled into exile in India.
Pakistani Trade Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived in Dhaka last week for a four-day official visit (21-24 August). According to an official statement, the visit was designed to boost bilateral trade and promote economic cooperation, building on the initiatives launched last month.
In addition to the visa issue, some six agreements were signed on that occasion, including a commitment to hold the first meeting in over 20 years of a joint economic and trade commission and one to increase cooperation between the two countries' media.
In the latter sphere, the Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation and the Bangladeshi news agency Sangbad have signed an agreement to work together.
Trade and media are not the only areas of interest. The two countries also want to promote greater academic cooperation with the sharing of experiences and expertise between Bangladeshi and Pakistani institutions.
Other agreements are planned in strategic studies and the cultural sector, with exchange programmes in the areas of culture, art, and traditions.
A few hours after arriving in Dhaka, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar met with leaders of several political parties, including representatives of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladeshi Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, widely regarded as a radical Islamist party.
The latter opposed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, making Dar's meeting with its leaders particularly significant.
Pakistan foreign minister noted that his government is seeking a new partnership with Bangladesh, urging its government and political parties, as well as young people, to come together in a joint effort.
The so-called Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor is strategic in this regard: Islamabad has announced 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students over the next five years, with a quarter reserved for medical studies.
In addition, about a hundred Bangladeshi civil servants will receive specialised training in Pakistan. Islamabad also plans to increase the number of scholarships under its technical assistance programme for Bangladeshi students from five to 25.
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