Pakistan launches knowledge corridor, signs visa-free travel with Bangladesh

Pakistan on Sunday unveiled the Pakistan–Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor, a landmark initiative designed to strengthen educational, professional, and cultural ties between the two nations.

Scholarships and Training Opportunities

Under this program, 500 scholarships will be offered to Bangladeshi students over the next five years for higher education in Pakistan, with 25% reserved for medical studies. Additionally, 100 Bangladeshi civil servants will benefit from specialised training courses, while scholarships under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Program have been expanded from 5 to 25.

A Historic Visit

The announcement coincided with the historic visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka — the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister in 13 years. During his two-day trip, Dar held talks with Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade, diplomacy, education, culture, and humanitarian cooperation.

Key Agreements Signed

Following delegation-level discussions, both countries signed six major agreements aimed at institutionalising collaboration:

• Visa-free entry for diplomatic and official passport holders, easing official exchanges.
• MoU on a Joint Working Group on Trade, designed to expand commercial links.
• MoU between the Foreign Service Academies of Pakistan and Bangladesh, strengthening diplomatic training.
• MoU between Associated Press of Pakistan and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, enhancing media collaboration.
• MoU between Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, promoting joint academic and policy research.
• Cultural Exchange Programme, aimed at strengthening people-to-people connections.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, these initiatives — combined with the Knowledge Corridor — will institutionalise and deepen cooperation across trade, education, media, culture, and diplomacy.

Economic Cooperation

Dar also met with Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin along with senior trade and finance officials. The discussions focused on boosting trade, connectivity, and wider economic collaboration. Both sides agreed to revive the long-stalled Joint Economic Commission meeting later this year — the first such session in nearly two decades.

During his visit, Dar also attended a reception hosted by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, where he engaged with political leaders, academics, civil society members, and business representatives. He underlined Pakistan’s centuries-old shared cultural and religious heritage with Bangladesh and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to building a forward-looking partnership.

Regional and International Issues

The two sides also addressed key regional and international concerns, including the revival of SAARC as a regional forum, as well as humanitarian crises in Palestine and Rohingya communities.

Analysts have hailed the new agreements and the Knowledge Corridor as a milestone in multi-dimensional cooperation, marking a new era of collaboration in education, trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange between Pakistan and Bangladesh.