DHAKA: Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal met newly elected Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka after attending his swearing-in ceremony, congratulated him and extended a formal invitation to visit Pakistan.
During the meeting, the two leaders emphasised the need to promote regional cooperation in South Asia, revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and advance the region on the basis of geo-economics rather than geopolitics.
According to APP, Ahsan Iqbal represented Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the ceremony and conveyed goodwill messages from the Pakistani leadership, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to opening a new chapter in bilateral relations.
The minister said Pakistan sought a strong, sustainable and forward-looking partnership with Bangladesh based on mutual respect, shared history and aligned economic interests, and described the peaceful democratic transition in Bangladesh as an important step towards democratic stability.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appreciated Pakistan’s goodwill gesture and positive message, stressing the importance of promoting constructive, dignified and future-oriented relations between the two countries. He said expanded bilateral cooperation could contribute significantly to regional stability and development.
Both leaders agreed that Pakistan and Bangladesh, as emerging economies with large youth populations, possessed a valuable demographic opportunity. They noted that investment in skills development, entrepreneurship and the digital economy could transform youth into drivers of national progress.
Ahsan Iqbal also underscored the importance of enhancing bilateral trade, strengthening maritime connectivity through coastal ports and integrating supply chains to improve access to regional and global markets. He proposed greater alignment in industrial capacity, the SME sector and export strategies to enable both countries to play an effective role in global value chains.
The minister briefed the Bangladeshi premier on the proposed Bangladesh-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor initiative aimed at promoting higher education cooperation, research, technology transfer and youth exchanges. Under the initiative, the chairman of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission is expected to visit Bangladesh soon to finalise joint academic programmes and long-term institutional partnerships.
Both sides agreed that educational and research linkages would form the foundation of sustainable cooperation. They also emphasised strengthening collaboration between key national institutions and leveraging modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve education, healthcare, climate response and governance.