KARACHI, Oct 28: President Musharraf’s maiden visit to Bangladesh in July this year will further strengthen relations between the two countries, Brig-Gen Sakhawat Hossein, a Bangladeshi intellectual said here on Monday.

Brig Hussein, an eminent writer on international relations, was speaking at a seminar on ‘Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations — From Conflict to Cooperation’ held under the auspices of the Department of International Relations, University of Karachi, at its campus.

He said that the President’s visit had added a new chapter on the economic front. He said: “our origin, culture, destiny as well as security perceptions in South Asia are common.”

Calling for a boost to the bilateral economic ties, he pointed out that there was a wide scope for cooperation in this field.

Most of the products at present, he said, are being imported by Bangladesh from India and the field is wide open for Pakistani firms which could capture the market.

Regarding Pakistan’s nuclear tests, he said that they were in response to the similar Indian move but the latter’s nuclear ambitions suggested its expansionist designs.

Prof Abul Kalam of the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, in his speech termed Pakistan and Bangladesh ‘natural allies’.

He called for strengthening bilateral ties and urged the two governments to work closely with harmony for the purpose in the interest of their peoples.

He was of the view that in pursuing this objective, it is imperative for both the countries to have positive thinking rather than scheming in terms of adversaries that is too old-fashioned and outdated.

He opined that in this age of globalization and borderless economy, the two states must look now beyond their respective limited political geography. He suggested that they should explore, in a forward-looking manner, ways and means towards beneficial relationship and expand the network of economic and socio-cultural interactions.

Prof Kalam also stressed the need for public and private sector cooperation as well as people to people cooperation.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Tanveer A. Khan of the North-South University Dhaka said that time has come to explore newer avenues of cooperation in varied fields shunning the path of rivalry and with a mindset of sustenance, self-esteem and freedom from servitude.

He also invited Pakistani investors to invest in projects in Bangladesh. He suggested that the SAARC be made a visa-free region.

Prof Moonis Ahmer of the Department of International Relations, University of Karachi, who directed the programme, supported the idea of enhanced economic ties between the two countries pointing out that the bilateral trade to the tune of US$138 million was just a peanut.

He called for a more mutually beneficial trade between the two countries as well as exchanges of people from various walks of life to achieve the required interaction.

The chairperson of the IR Department, University of Karachi, Prof Talat Wizarat, said that tremendous potential existed to boost Islamabad-Dhaka relations. She called for the settlement of all the bilateral issues.

A former chairman of the Department, Prof Sikandar Mehdi, said that the issue of liabilities between the two countries also needed to be settled.

—APP