Pakistan, Bangladesh revive economic cooperation after 20 years

In a landmark development for regional ties, Pakistan and Bangladesh have revived their economic cooperation after two decades, holding the 9th meeting of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Dhaka — the first since 2005.

The meeting, seen as a major milestone in strengthening bilateral economic and development relations, was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Petroleum, Ali Pervez Malik, and Bangladesh’s Advisor on Finance, Dr. Salahuddin Ahmed.

During the session, Pakistan offered Bangladesh access to the Karachi Port Trust, allowing Dhaka to trade more efficiently with regional countries including China and the Central Asian states. Both sides also emphasized the need to enhance cooperation between their national shipping corporations to improve maritime connectivity.

In another significant move, the two countries agreed to expedite efforts to start direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh to facilitate people-to-people and business exchanges.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Pakistan Halal Authority and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute to boost cooperation in halal trade, paving the way for collaboration in quality assurance and certification of halal products.

The two countries further emphasized the establishment of a Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor, under which Pakistan has offered 500 fully funded scholarships for Bangladeshi students and increased training seats under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Program from 5 to 25.

Agreements were reached to deepen collaboration across a wide range of sectors — including trade, investment, energy, climate change, information technology, agriculture, transport, communication, education, banking, health, tourism, information and broadcasting, textiles, and medical and religious tourism.

Expressing gratitude for Bangladesh’s hospitality, Federal Minister Ali Pervez Malik said Pakistan and Bangladesh share “a relationship built on mutual respect and friendship.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, both countries signed the agreed minutes of the ninth Joint Economic Commission, reaffirming their commitment to expand bilateral engagement in the years ahead.