BD-Pak approve visa-free deal for govt officials

Diplomatic Correspondent :

Bangladesh and Pakistan have moved a step closer toward deepening bilateral ties as the Advisory Council in Dhaka on Thursday approved a draft agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports.

According to Press Secretary of the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam, the proposal was initiated by the Security Services Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs and subsequently endorsed at the Council’s 39th meeting.

Under the approved draft, accredited diplomats and government officials of both countries will be able to enter and stay in each other’s territory without a visa.

Officials described the agreement as a “confidence-building measure” aimed at facilitating greater official-level exchanges, smoother participation in joint forums, and renewed cooperation in regional and multilateral platforms.

The approval comes against the backdrop of visibly warming ties between Dhaka and Islamabad following the dramatic fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August last year.

The change in political landscape has opened space for a recalibration of Bangladesh’s foreign policy, with the interim leadership in Dhaka signaling a willingness to revive channels of communication that had largely stagnated for over a decade and a half.

For much of the last 15 years, relations between the two South Asian neighbours were marked by political mistrust, limited high-level engagement, and stalled trade initiatives.

Contentious historical narratives and unresolved issues around 1971 often overshadowed possibilities of pragmatic cooperation. Since the fall of Awami League government last year, a series of diplomatic overtures has indicated a thaw.

Earlier this year, trade delegations exchanged visits, and Pakistani officials emphasised the importance of expanding bilateral commerce in textiles, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products.

The draft visa waiver agreement is the latest in that sequence, adding symbolic weight to the idea that both sides are keen to move beyond lingering animosities.

If the agreement is formally signed and ratified, it will allow diplomats and government officials from both countries to avoid the cumbersome visa process, thereby easing diplomatic travel and bureaucratic cooperation.

Analysts say the measure is modest in scope but significant in its timing, as it sends a political message of trust and intent.

Foreign Ministry sources said that such arrangements are common among countries seeking to build confidence. It may not transform the relationship overnight, but it indicates that Dhaka and Islamabad want to gradually normalize ties.

The move also fits into a broader regional context where South Asian countries are re-evaluating their alliances amid shifting global economic and security dynamics.

For Bangladesh, which is navigating a delicate political transition at home, reopening channels with Pakistan could provide additional leverage in regional trade and diplomacy.

For Pakistan, strengthening ties with Bangladesh offers an opportunity to diversify partnerships in South Asia beyond its traditional reliance on China and its complex rivalry with India.
Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said, “Apart from Pakistan, we have such treaties with 31 countries. The tenure of such agreement would be for five years. The government officials and diplomatic passport holders can now visit Pakistan without any visas. The Pakistan counterparts will also enjoy it. It is a standard practice.”