Bangladesh and Pakistan reached their first such agreement in more than 50 years, to grant visa-free entry to the holders of the diplomatic and official passports. The historic decision is a major step towards a better relation between the two South Asian neighbors that had had very strained relations ever since the 1971 war that had given birth to a Bangladesh.
On Thursday, the interim government of Bangladesh led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus took a decision to sign a mutual visa waiver agreement.
The agreement will be retained to be valid under the five years, as Press secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed the development in a news conference held in Dhaka.
“Those with diplomatic and official passports will be able to travel to Pakistan without a visa,” Alam announced. He also pointed out similar arrangements are already existing between Bangladesh and 31 other countries. This agreement is mutual in that Pakistani diplomats and officials are also given the same concession of being allowed into Bangladesh without any visa.
Holders of diplomatic and official passports in Bangladesh will now be able to travel to Pakistan without a visa. Similarly, diplomatic and official passport holders of Pakistan will have the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh visa-free.
— The Business Standard (@tbsnewsbd) August 21, 2025
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The visa exemption is the result of recent high-level negotiations. In July, Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was on an official visit to Bangladesh where he met with his Bangladesh counterpart, Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and agreed to make preparations to lower travel restrictions between the two countries.
Since 1971 there has been a suspension of visa free entry between the regions of Bangladesh and Pakistan. The reestablishment of this facility involves the new momentum in bilateral relations especially after the August 2024 uprising in Bangladesh that brought down the Sheikh Hasina government and resulted in the creation of foundations of new relationships.
Alongside this announcement, Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday for a four-day official visit from August 21 to 24. As per official statement, intention of his visit is to increase two way economic cooperation in different sectors
Analysts feel this to be a considerable diplomatic advancement, which can pave the way to deeper cooperation in trading, politics, and cultural exchange. Allowing the visa-free travel by the officials and diplomats of the countries is the clear indication that both countries are trying to put their trust back and build a better relationship in South Asia.
Also read this: Pakistan and UAE Sign Visa-Free Travel Deal
