DHAKA: In a sign of Yunus govt’s intent to “engage deeply” with Islamabad, Bangladesh and Pakistan are set to hold foreign office consultations (FOC) – a foreign secretary-level dialogue – in Dhaka Thursday. This marks the first such bilateral meeting between the two countries since 2010, underscoring a potential thaw in long-frozen diplomatic ties.
Bangladesh foreign secretary Md Jashim Uddin and his Pakistani counterpart Amna Baloch will lead respective delegations at FOC, to be held at the state guest house in Dhaka, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties, officials said. Baloch arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday to attend the talks.
Both sides are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues, including unresolved historical matters. “The two sides are expected to discuss the entire range of bilateral issues, without any fixed agenda,” said a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official.
Ties remained strained during the 15-year tenure of Sheikh Hasina govt due to issues such as war crimes trials in Bangladesh However, things have changed drastically since formation of the interim govt in Aug 2024. Pakistan’s deputy PM and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to pay a visit later this month.
