Pakistan, Bangladesh discuss trade, investment and defence cooperation

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - A top Pakistani military commander on Saturday met Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and discussed with him bilateral trade, investment and defense cooperation, Yunus’s office said, amid a thaw in relations between the two countries.

Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, paid the courtesy call on the chief adviser at the Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka, where they discussed a wide range of issues concerning Bangladesh–Pakistan relations, according to Yunus’s office.

Gen Mirza emphasised the shared historical, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries and expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen cooperation in multiple sectors, noting the vast potential for expanding trade, connectivity and investment between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“Our two countries will support each other,” Gen Mirza said, noting that a two-way shipping route between Karachi and Chittagong has already begun operations and a Dhaka–Karachi air route is expected to open within months, as quoted by Yunus’s office.

During Saturday’s meeting, Gen. Mirza and Yunus exchanged views on global issues, including tensions in the Middle East as well as the growing challenge of misinformation and misuse of social media by non-state actors to undermine peace and stability across various regions.

“Fake news and disinformation have flooded social media. It is being used to sow chaos,” the Bangladeshi chief adviser said. “There must be a concerted global effort to combat this menace.”