By The South Asia Times

DHAKA -  Pakistan has formally invited Bangladesh’s newly sworn-in prime minister, Tarique Rahman, to visit Islamabad, signaling a push to reinvigorate bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations.

The invitation was delivered on Tuesday by Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s federal minister for planning and development, who represented Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Rahman’s oath-taking ceremony in Dhaka.

Iqbal conveyed congratulations on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan and expressed hopes for Bangladesh’s peace and prosperity under the new leadership.

During their meeting, the two sides discussed ways to expand cooperation and improve regional coordination. Iqbal emphasized the importance of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), describing South Asia as one of the least economically integrated regions in the world due to longstanding political tensions. He said closer collaboration between Pakistan and Bangladesh could help unlock broader regional connectivity and trade.

A key proposal put forward by the Pakistani minister was the creation of a “Pakistan–Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor” to boost academic, research and technological partnerships. He said the chairman of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission would visit Bangladesh to explore university partnerships and expand student and faculty exchange programs.

Islamabad has allocated 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students, with 75 already traveling to Pakistan for higher studies, he added.

The discussions also covered cooperation in digital governance and data management between Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, and their Bangladeshi counterparts.

Both sides explored potential collaboration in small and medium-sized enterprises, cottage industries and technology-driven services to enhance their presence in global markets.

Improving air links and connectivity to facilitate trade, tourism and people-to-people contacts was also on the agenda.

In a cultural initiative, Iqbal proposed reviving the Iqbal Academy and jointly commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of philosopher-poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal next year as a symbol of shared intellectual heritage.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and working together for regional stability and economic cooperation.