https://arab.news/p7u2n
- Bangladeshi delegation expresses regret over flood losses in meeting with religious affairs minister
- Pakistan and Bangladesh have taken many steps in recent months to rebuild ties between each other
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has proposed a program to exchange with Bangladesh scholars and students of religious seminaries, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said on Friday.
The statement came after a Bangladeshi delegation, led by Khalid Hussain, adviser to Bangladesh president on religious affairs, called on Yousaf to offer condolences over the loss of at least 46 lives in recent floods in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province.
The meeting follows steps taken by both countries to rebuild ties in recent months, with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar undertaking a landmark visit to Dhaka in August to reset regional relations amid shifting geopolitical alignments.
Yousaf told the Bangladeshi delegates the relations between the two countries are based on centuries-old, shared traditions, Islamic heritage, social values and literary expression, according to the religious affairs ministry.
“Federal Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf proposed exchanges of scholars and students of madrassas of both countries,” the ministry said, adding that Hussain agreed to take steps to promote cooperation between the two religious affairs ministries.
The two sides also agreed to form a joint working group to promote interfaith harmony, according to the Pakistani ministry. The visiting Bangladeshi delegation will also participate in the two-day 50th International Seerat Conference in Pakistan, beginning on Sept. 9.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. In the years since, Bangladeshi leaders, particularly ex-PM Sheikh Hasina, chose to maintain close ties with India.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since Hasina’s ouster as a result of a student-led uprising in August, witnessing a marked improvement. Both countries began sea trade last year, expanding government-to-government commerce in February.
Last month, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and advancing regional cooperation, the Pakistani foreign office said, following a series of high-level engagements during Deputy PM Dar’s visit to Dhaka.