Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, paid a courtesy call on Mohammad Ismail Zabiullah, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Administration, holding ministerial rank and a member of the BNP National Standing Committee, at his office in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday.

A three-member delegation led by the high commissioner attended the meeting, where the two sides discussed ways to strengthen existing bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation in trade, training and education, healthcare and industry.

During the meeting, both sides expressed interest in establishing a joint sports goods manufacturing facility in Bangladesh in partnership with renowned sports equipment manufacturers in Sialkot, Pakistan. Discussions covered the production of tennis balls and other types of balls and sporting goods, technology transfer, skills development and strengthening local manufacturing capacity. They also expressed interest in exchanging experiences and arranging training programmes for athletes from both countries. The importance of establishing communication between the relevant institutions and taking necessary initiatives was emphasised.

The Pakistani government also expressed interest in signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with relevant Bangladeshi training institutions to enhance the skills of government officials and facilitate the exchange of professional experience.

The high commissioner said Pakistan was interested in signing an MoU between the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) and Pakistan’s National School of Public Policy (NSPP), as well as between the Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy (BCSAA) and Pakistan’s Civil Services Academy (CSA).

He further informed the meeting that 12 Bangladeshi government officials had already completed training in Pakistan, while training arrangements for another 35 officials were underway.

He expressed hope that such initiatives would promote mutual understanding and the exchange of experience among government officials, helping reduce the trade imbalance and expand economic cooperation between the two countries. The adviser recalled the Inter-Wing Scholarship Programme for students from East and West Pakistan before the 1971 Liberation War.

On trade expansion, the high commissioner said Pakistan had an annual duty-free import quota of 10,000 metric tonnes of tea from Bangladesh, adding that there was scope to increase Bangladeshi tea exports to the Pakistani market.

The two sides also discussed the potential for exporting pineapples and shrimp from Bangladesh to Pakistan and stressed the need for appropriate initiatives to expand trade in these products.

As part of efforts to strengthen healthcare cooperation, the Pakistani high commissioner expressed his country’s interest in providing free liver transplants to 10 Bangladeshi patients annually at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre.

He also proposed providing liver transplant training to Bangladeshi doctors and nurses. Both sides expressed hope that the initiative would create further opportunities for cooperation and the exchange of medical expertise. They also discussed prospects for expanding medical service exchanges and medical tourism between the two countries.

The high commissioner noted that there were opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation in pharmaceuticals, tourism, the jute industry, education and aviation. He also expressed interest in exchanging expertise and expanding trade across various sectors.

The Pakistani high commissioner said the resumption of direct flights between Dhaka and Karachi after 14 years would play an important role in increasing people-to-people contact and strengthening bilateral relations.

At the meeting, both sides expressed optimism about capitalising on opportunities for cooperation in areas of mutual interest to expand trade and investment and make relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan more dynamic.