Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday (April 16, 2025) to conduct the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) on Thursday (April 17, 2025) after a 15-year hiatus.
A spokesperson from the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry stated that Ishrat Jahan, the Director General of the South Asia Wing, greeted Ms. Baloch at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
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Ms. Baloch is scheduled to engage in discussions with her Bangladeshi counterpart M. Jashim Uddin at the state guest house ‘Padma’ on Thursday (April 17, 2025).
Officials familiar with the situation mentioned that there is no specific agenda set for the talks, as all areas of mutual interest are expected to be addressed during the meeting.
“Given the long gap, it is challenging to prioritize topics beforehand, but the discussions will be comprehensive,” a foreign office spokesperson stated on Tuesday (April 15, 2025).
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The last FOC between Bangladesh and Pakistan took place in 2010.
Additionally, Ms. Baloch will make courtesy visits to interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser M. Touhid Hossain after the FOC.
Relations between Dhaka and Islamabad were strained during the tenure of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, particularly since 2010 when Dhaka began the trial of collaborators of Pakistani troops during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.
However, relations have improved since Mr. Yunus’ interim government came into power following the removal of Ms. Hasina in a student-led uprising on August 5 last year.
The foreign secretary-level meeting precedes the upcoming visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka later this month, marking the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister since 2012.
Published – April 16, 2025 09:26 pm IST
