DHAKA - After a hiatus of nearly two decades, the Bangladesh-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) resumed the bilateral economic talks in Dhaka on Monday.

This two-day session, the highest-level forum for economic cooperation between the two nations, focused on strengthening ties across multiple sectors, including agriculture, information technology, food security, aviation, and shipping.

Both sides emphasized the need to reduce non-tariff barriers and expand collaboration into new areas such as education, manpower export, and industrial sectors.

The delegations, led by Bangladesh's Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed and Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, also stressed the importance of revitalizing broader regional cooperation through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

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According to officials, bilateral trade between the two countries still remains under $1 billion, a figure they consider modest.

Relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan improved in 2024 after Bangladesh's new interim government took over.

This shift was evidenced by a notable change in diplomatic rhetoric and the initiation of joint cooperative projects.