For the first time since 1971, Pakistan, Bangladesh resume direct trade
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
The first government-approved cargo carrying a rice shipment departed from Port Qasim today
Pakistan sent first batch of quality rice to Dhaka as direct trade between the nations has been resumed.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have resumed direct trade on an official level for the first time since the 1971 separation, with the first government-approved cargo departing from Port Qasim, Express News reported.
This marks a historic step in bilateral trade relations, as Bangladesh has agreed to purchase 50,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). The agreement was finalised in early February.
The rice shipment will be delivered in two phases, with the first 25,000-tonne consignment now en route to Bangladesh. The second batch is scheduled to depart in early March. This trade deal is expected to strengthen economic ties between the two nations and facilitate direct shipping routes.
For the first time, a Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) vessel carrying government cargo will dock at a Bangladeshi port, marking a significant milestone in maritime trade relations.
This development is seen as a positive step in fostering economic cooperation and reopening trade channels that remained dormant for decades.
Reference Link:- https://tribune.com.pk/story/2530239/first-official-cargo-ship-departs-as-pakistan-bangladesh-restore-trade-ties
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
