ISLAMABAD: Top Pakistani and Bangladeshi officials have agreed to enhance defence cooperation in all fields, reported state media on Saturday.
The development came at a meeting between Pakistan’s Defence Secretary Lt. Gen. (retired) Muhammad Ali and the Principal Staff Officer of Bangladesh Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General S.M. Kamrul Hassan in Rawalpindi.
During the meeting, they discussed the means of expanding bilateral defence collaboration in all domains.
“The discussion was focused on expanding bilateral defence collaboration covering all domains,” the report read. “Both sides expressed satisfaction over ongoing collaboration between two countries and aimed at strengthening the cooperation in mutually beneficial fields.”
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since the ouster of Indian-backed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, witnessing a marked improvement.
This week, Lt. Gen. Hassan met Army Chief General Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza in Rawalpindi.
During the meeting, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, they discussed an enduring partnership between the two countries to remain “resilient against external influences.”
On Tuesday, Pakistan and Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint business council to strengthen bilateral trade partnership.
The MoU was signed between the Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
The FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh and FBCCI Administrator Muhammad Hafizur Rahman signed the MoU in Dhaka on Monday.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to visit Dhaka at the start of February to further consolidate the relations between the two countries.
