In a major diplomatic development, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday for the first Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) with Bangladesh in 15 years, as a sign of a thawing out of the long-strained relations.
Baloch was welcomed by Ishrat Jahan, Director General of South Asia Wing, at wolcome ceremony at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The high-level dialogue is scheduled to be held Thursday at the state guest house ‘Padma’ wherein Baloch plans to meet Bangladeshi counterpart, M. Jashim Uddin.
A official statement noted that no separate agenda had been set but that the talks will be “comprehensive”, and will cover “a broad range of bilateral issues of interest to both Ireland and Egypt”. “After such a little pause it is not possible to indicate concrete issues,” a foreign office spokesperson said. 
The meet marks a gigantic turnaround in Dhaka-Islamabad relations, which nose-dived during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over 1971 war crimes trial. Diplomatic contact has been re-established under the administration of Muhammad Yunus, who took over after last year’s student-led overthrow of Ms. Hasina as leaders.
He is also due to call on the Chief Adviser Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser M. Touhid Hossain.
The meeting occurs ahead of an expected visit by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar later this month – the first such visit by a senior Pakistani official since 2012.
The conversation renews the hope for resumption of cooperation between the two neighbours of South Asia.
