Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan held productive discussions with Bangladesh’s Adviser for Industries Adilur Rahman Khan in Dhaka on Thursday to explore avenues for industrial cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries were once one nation but split following a bloody civil war, which saw the territory previously referred to as ‘East Pakistan’ seceded to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. In the years since, Dhaka’s leaders, especially the ousted regime of Sheikh Hasina, stayed firmly in the Indian camp. However, after Hasina’s government was toppled last year, there has been a thaw in ties between the two capitals, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement.

The commerce minister is currently on a visit to Bangladesh. He was received upon his arrival in Dhaka by Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin.

“Looking forward to engagements with officials and business leaders,” he said.

Kamal and Rahman discussed the importance of leveraging their economies and industry to address issues of food security, value addition in the food industry and aligning industrial technology.

Their discussions focused on exchanging expertise across diverse sectors through mutual exchange of delegations and knowledge sharing.

Kamal emphasised Pakistan’s interest in being a part of Bangladesh’s evolving industrial landscape through collaboration, joint ventures and mutual investment. He also stressed the need for a shared vision to create a conducive environment for industrial growth, then turning that relationship into a partnership through bilateral trade.

The minister focused on value-added industries for revenue generation and socio-economic uplift, and appreciated Bangladesh’s growth in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles and information technology.

Rahman highlighted Bangladesh’s progress in industrial development and acknowledged the country’s growing industrial requirements. He also showed keen interest in knowledge sharing and industrial collaboration.

Rahman identified leather, ship-building, sugar, agro-processing and small and medium enterprises as areas of possible collaboration.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Dhaka on August 23 to “discuss ways to strengthen coordination with Bangladesh”, according to Bangladesh’s Dhaka Tribune.

The report had said that FM Dar would have a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Aug 24, in addition to other engagements.

Last month, Paki­stan and Bangladesh agreed to grant visa-free entry to holders of diplomatic and official passports from the other side.

The deal in principle, marking a breakthrough in bila­teral relations between the two states, was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh’s Home Minister Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.