Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Haider met Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rehman in Dhaka on Sunday, in the first diplomatic contact with Bangladesh’s new government, congratulating him on assuming office and highlighting recent progress in bilateral relations.

The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in areas including education, trade, agriculture, health, and communication, with discussions on establishing formal bilateral mechanisms. Both sides emphasised the importance of finding new ways to expand collaboration.

Dr Khalilur Rehman welcomed the briefing and expressed satisfaction over the progress in Pakistan-Bangladesh ties.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) returned to power in a landslide victory, winning 212 seats in parliament. Jamaat-e-Islami became the second largest party with 68 seats, while the student party NCP secured six seats.

Tariq Rehman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and BNP leader, was sworn in as prime minister on Feb. 17. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated him and extended an invitation for an official visit to Pakistan.

Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, resigned and fled the country on Aug. 5, 2024, amid nationwide student protests over the government job quota system.

An interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus was formed on Aug. 8, 2024, and governed for 18 months, focusing on constitutional and electoral reforms before the elections that brought the BNP back to power.