Pakistan and Bangladesh have resumed direct trade for the first time since the 1971 separation, with the first govt-approved cargo departing from Port Qasim, according to a media report. The agreement was finalised in early Feb when Bangladesh agreed to purchase 50,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).
East Pakistan separated from Pakistan in 1971 to form the independent state of Bangladesh. The transportation of the goods marked the first instance of official trade relations being restored since 1971.
Under the deal finalised, Bangladesh is set to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan through the TCP. The shipment will be completed in two phases, with the remaining 25,000 tonnes to be dispatched in early March, The Express Tribune newspaper.
The development is seen as a positive step in fostering economic cooperation and reopening trade channels that were dormant for decades.