12 Bangladeshi govt officials complete training in Pakistan: Envoy

Twelve Bangladeshi government officials have completed training in Pakistan, while training arrangements for another 35 officials are underway, said Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider on Wednesday.

He expressed hope that such initiatives would promote mutual understanding and the exchange of experience among government officials, helping reduce the trade deficit between the two countries and expand economic cooperation.

The Pakistan high commissioner made the remarks while paying a courtesy call on Md Ismail Zabihullah, adviser to the prime minister for public administration, at the latter’s office at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The high commissioner said Pakistan was interested in signing an MoU between the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) and Pakistan’s National School of Public Policy (NSPP), as well as between the Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy (BCSAA) and Pakistan’s Civil Services Academy (CSA).

During the discussion, the PM’s adviser recalled the Inter-Wing Scholarship Programme for students from East and West Pakistan before the Liberation War.

Both sides also discussed strengthening existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan, expanding trade, and exploring new avenues for mutual cooperation in training and education, healthcare, and industry.

The two sides expressed interest in establishing sports goods manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh through joint ventures between Bangladeshi entrepreneurs and renowned sports equipment manufacturers in Sialkot, Pakistan. Discussions covered the production of tennis balls, other types of balls, and various sports goods, as well as technology transfer, skills development, and enhancing local manufacturing capacity. They also expressed interest in facilitating exchanges of experience and training opportunities for athletes from both countries. The two sides emphasized the importance of establishing contacts between relevant organizations and taking the necessary initiatives to advance these proposals.

The Pakistani government also expressed interest in signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with relevant Bangladeshi training institutions to enhance the skills of government officials and facilitate the exchange of professional experience.

Regarding trade expansion, the high commissioner said Pakistan had established a duty-free import quota of 10,000 metric tonnes of tea from Bangladesh annually. He noted that there was scope to increase Bangladeshi tea exports to the Pakistani market.

The two sides also discussed the potential for exporting pineapples and shrimp from Bangladesh to Pakistan. Both parties emphasised the need to take the necessary steps to expand trade in these products.

As part of efforts to strengthen healthcare cooperation, the Pakistani high commissioner expressed his country’s interest in providing free liver transplant procedures annually to 10 Bangladeshi patients at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre.

He also proposed providing training in liver transplantation to Bangladeshi doctors and nurses. Both sides expressed hope that these initiatives would create greater opportunities for medical cooperation and the exchange of expertise between the two countries.

The meeting also covered prospects for expanding medical service exchanges and medical tourism between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The high commissioner further noted that there were opportunities to enhance cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry, tourism, the jute industry, education, and aviation. He expressed interest in exchanging expertise and expanding trade across these sectors.

The Pakistani high commissioner said the resumption of direct flights between Dhaka and Karachi after 14 years would play an important role in increasing people-to-people contact and strengthening bilateral relations.

At the meeting, both sides expressed optimism about utilizing opportunities for cooperation in areas of mutual interest to expand trade and investment and further strengthen and revitalize relations between the two countries.