(MENAFN) Pakistani Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, held a meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, on Saturday.

The encounter marks a step toward renewed ties between the two nations following the recent shift in Dhaka’s leadership, after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down amid massive youth-driven demonstrations last year.

As stated in a social media update from the Yunus administration, the two leaders deliberated on the rising importance of mutual trade, investments, and defense collaboration.

Mirza expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen partnerships in diverse areas, emphasizing the vast opportunities for expanding commerce and connectivity between both states, according to a statement released by Pakistan’s armed forces.

“Our two countries will support each other,” Mirza told Yunus, mentioning that a direct maritime route between Karachi and Chittagong had already begun operations, while an air link between Dhaka and Karachi is expected to launch within the next few months.

In August, Pakistan and Bangladesh signed six cooperative agreements designed to bolster their bilateral engagement.

These accords included provisions for visa-free travel for diplomats and government officials, underscoring a growing spirit of collaboration.

Mirza’s trip, the most senior Pakistani visit to Dhaka in several years, came after the August 2024 removal of former Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina, whose administration was broadly perceived as aligned with India.

Meanwhile, a gift presented by Yunus to Mirza sparked controversy in India, following claims that it displayed a map depicting parts of northeastern India as Bangladeshi territory.

Although India has not yet released an official statement, it had previously lodged a strong protest with Dhaka when a similar map circulated online last year.

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