President Zardari, PM Shehbaz extend well wishes to incoming BD PM Rahman, look to ramp up ties

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman on being sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday following his party’s landslide victory in the recent elections.

Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister today along with newly elected lawmakers, marking a decisive political shift and the country’s first elected government since the deadly 2024 uprising.

In a post on X, the president appreciated the interim government’s role in conducting a peaceful and fair election. He also conveyed his best wishes for the stability and prosperity of Bangladesh and expressed hope for stronger Pakistan-Bangladesh ties and regional peace.

PM Shehbaz also congratulated Rahman on assuming office. In a post on X, he wrote: “Warmest felicitations to Tarique Rahman on having been sworn in as the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

“I look forward to close and meaningful engagements with my brother, to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation across mutually beneficial areas and to deepen the historic ties between our two countries.”

The two had previously shared congratulatory messages, describing Rahman’s victory as “decisive” and “resounding”.

PM Shehbaz had engaged Rahman on Friday after the BNP’s successful electoral performance and affirmed his resolve to work together with the new administration for regional peace.

In turn, the BNP had on Saturday welcomed the congratulatory messages and said it was open to cultivating a “forward-looking relationship” going ahead.

The ouster of the Awami League government led to the rapprochement between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

They signed a number of agreements in August 2025 aimed at enhancing cooperation in trade, diplomacy, media, education, and cultural exchanges, marking a significant step forward in efforts to reset relations after years of frosty ties.

Ahsan Iqbal attends Rahman’s oath, calls for new chapter in Pak-Bangladesh ties

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also attended the oath-taking ceremony and represented Pakistan at the historic event.

Upon arrival, he was received by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the high commissioner of Pakistan in Dhaka.

Speaking to state broadcaster Pakistan TV Digital in Dhaka, Iqbal said he was representing PM Shehbaz at what he described as a “historic democratic transition” in Bangladesh, adding that the premier was keen to visit at the earliest opportunity. He also extended an invitation to Rahman to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience.

Read: Tarique Rahman sworn in as Bangladesh’s PM after landslide election victory

“I am here to represent the prime minister of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan at a very historic moment when Bangladesh is making a democratic transition and a new government is being sworn in,” Iqbal said. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would very much like to visit Bangladesh as early as possible.”

The minister said he would meet Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, PM-elect Rahman, and the leader of the opposition to convey Islamabad’s message of partnership and support.

“We look forward to a new journey between Pakistan and Bangladesh, towards prosperity and stability, not only for our region but for our people,” he said.

Describing the two countries as “twin brothers” sharing historically deep ties, he cited common civilisational links, similar demographic profiles and parallel development challenges.

“Both Pakistan and Bangladesh are young countries with very similar economic characteristics,” he said. “This gives us a great opportunity to build bridges between our youth and work together to create opportunities.”

The PML-N leader said Islamabad viewed Dhaka as a key partner in reviving regional cooperation, particularly through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which he said had long been stalled.

“South Asia is the least regionally integrated region in the world,” he said. “Both Pakistan and Bangladesh can play a very important role in reviving and reactivating SAARC, because regional cooperation is now key to economic progress.”

Iqbal said economic ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh remained far below potential, with bilateral trade still under $1 billion, and called for an urgent push to expand commerce, investment and connectivity.

“There is tremendous opportunity to promote trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh,” he said, adding that he would meet Bangladeshi business leaders during the visit and engage with students to strengthen youth-to-youth links.

Also Read: Bangladesh’s new PM, political heir Tarique Rahman

On foreign policy, Iqbal stressed strategic autonomy and equal sovereignty as guiding principles, drawing parallels between Pakistan’s and Bangladesh’s political trajectories.

“Every country, no matter how small, has equal sovereignty,” he said. “We cannot accept hegemony on the basis of geography or power.”

He said both countries shared vulnerabilities to climate change, water security challenges and the need to build economic resilience, arguing that cooperation in climate adaptation, technology and skills development should be priorities.

“Both countries would like to see that international conventions for water should be respected. Recently, India has weaponised water from a controversial region. Which is not India, it occupied Jammu and Kashmir. And from there, it is weaponising water. I think Bangladesh also would be closely watching these developments.”

With Bangladesh’s new government taking office on the back of a strong electoral mandate and a voter-endorsed reform charter, both sides framed the moment as an opportunity to reset ties on pragmatic, forward-looking lines.

“We are not authors of the bitter past,” Iqbal said. “We are custodians of the future. History will judge us by the path we choose now.”

Meeting with Yunus

Later, Iqbal called on Yunus and congratulated him and the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of the elections.

During the meeting, he thanked him for strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh across various spheres, including trade, people-to-people contacts and the revival of direct air connectivity, according to a press release issued by the planning ministry.

The minister also apprised Prof Yunus of the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships under the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor and noted that the first batch of awardees had already joined their respective universities in Pakistan.

Professor Yunus appreciated the initiative and expressed hope that academic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges would increase in the coming days.

He thanked the minister and, recalling his meetings with PM Shehbaz, said Pakistan and Bangladesh shared numerous affinities that provided a robust foundation to advance mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

Meanwhile, in a post on X, the minister expressed his best wishes and prayers for PM Rahman’s success in steering the country towards new heights of progress and development.

“It was an honour to witness and be part of this historic moment in history of Bangladesh on behalf of PM Shehbaz Sharif and people of Pakistan,” he said.Separately, on the sidelines of the ceremony, Iqbal met United Kingdom Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra and engaged in what was described as a “meaningful exchange”.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Planning and Development on X, it said the meeting underscored Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships, advancing economic cooperation and promoting regional stability through constructive diplomatic dialogue.