BIG threat for India as Pakistan and Bangladesh decide to…, Pakistani Foreign Secretary visits Dhaka after…

After a decade and a half, Bangladesh and Pakistan are going to do something that may increase tension in India. Foreign Secretary level Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) is going to be held between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dhaka on April 17. For this, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch is reaching Dhaka on Wednesday with a delegation from Islamabad. Bangladeshi media outlet Dhaka Tribune has given this information quoting a senior official of the Foreign Ministry.

Last FOC meeting was held in 2010

From Bangladesh side, Foreign Secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin will lead the meeting to be held at the State Guest House Padma. Quoting a Foreign Ministry official, the report said that no specific agenda has been set for the meeting, but all areas of mutual interest are likely to be covered during the discussion. The official said that it is difficult to prioritise the topics in advance in the talks being held after such a long time, but the talks will be comprehensive. The last FOC between Bangladesh and Pakistan was held in 2010.

During the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh, Dhaka had completely cut off ties with Pakistan, but the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus has rolled out the red carpet for Pakistan. Since then, Islamabad has completely intensified its activities in Dhaka.

ISI active in Bangladesh

Pakistan’s army and its intelligence agency ISI have become active in Bangladesh. Along with this, Pakistan is now also trying to increase its trade presence with Bangladesh. However, the cost of transportation is a problem, as Pakistan will have to travel a long distance by sea to reach Bangladesh to deliver its goods. Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Mohammad Iqbal Hussain Khan says that there is a possibility for Bangladesh to import through Pakistan, provided the transportation cost remains low.

Direct flights to Pakistan and Bangladesh

Along with this, direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh are also being considered. Khan said that along with Fly Jinnah, another Pakistani private carrier Air Sial based in Sialkot has applied to the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority to operate flights to Dhaka.

Apart from the foreign secretary-level meeting, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Dhaka later this month. This will be the first visit of a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh since 2012. “We are still finalising the date, but the visit is likely to take place in the last week of April,” a foreign ministry official said.

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