The Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Saqib Sadaqat, has said that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh has increased by around 20 percent in recent months, reaching nearly $1 billion.
Speaking at a discussion session organized by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, he said that improved transport connectivity, including direct flights and shipping links, has significantly enhanced trade and economic engagement between the two countries.
He noted that after Karachi, direct flights from Lahore to Dhaka would also be launched soon, further strengthening people-to-people and commercial relations.
The diplomat said that expansion of shipping routes would further boost bilateral trade and cooperation, adding that a recent visit by Bangladeshi government officials to Pakistan marked an important step in strengthening institutional and public-level ties.
He expressed optimism that trade volumes between the two countries would continue to grow in the coming years, while also appreciating Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in facilitating dialogue on regional and global issues.
Addressing the session, Patron-in-Chief of the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations Ikram Sehgal said that Pakistan and Bangladesh were “two countries but one nation,” highlighting the potential of their youth populations in driving future growth.
He stressed the need to eliminate tariffs on bilateral trade, suggesting that removing import duties on Bangladeshi tea could reduce prices in Pakistan by up to 50 percent.
Ikram Sehgal also called for visa-on-arrival facilities between the two countries to strengthen public connectivity and ease travel.
He further proposed deeper strategic cooperation, suggesting that Pakistan and Bangladesh should consider a mutual defence understanding, under which aggression against one country would be treated as aggression against both.