Pakistan鈥檚 deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Dhaka in Saturday afternoon on a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations.
Dar landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 2:00pm on a special flight, and was received by foreign secretary Asad Alam Siam, HSIA executive director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad told the news agency.
Foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain is scheduled to hold official talks with the visiting deputy premier and foreign minister on Sunday morning at the state guest house Padma in the capital, an official of the foreign ministry said.
The discussions are expected to culminate in the signing of four to five memorandums of understanding to boost cooperation in trade, culture, media, training, and travel sectors, the official added.
Following the talks and the signing ceremony, foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain will brief the media.
Visiting Pakistan鈥檚 commerce minister Jam Kamal Khan is also expected to join the bilateral meeting.
Later in the evening, both Dar and Khan are scheduled to pay a courtesy call on chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The last ministerial-level visit from Pakistan took place in November 2012, when the then-foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited Dhaka to invite Bangladesh鈥檚 then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina to the D-8 summit in Islamabad.
Diplomatic engagement between Dhaka and Islamabad has gained new momentum following last year鈥檚 political transition in Bangladesh.
Both countries have introduced direct shipping services, eased visa and trade regimes, and are preparing to launch direct flights.
Pakistani airline Fly Jinnah has secured approval to operate on the Dhaka-Karachi route, while another carrier, Air Sial, has applied for permission, officials said.
