Thirty-four senior officers of the Bangladesh Civil Service, including additional and joint secretaries, left Dhaka on Sunday to participate in a two-week Executive Leadership Training Programme at the National School of Public Policy in Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider was present at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to see off the departing delegation.
Ahead of their departure, the high commissioner hosted a dinner in honour of the visiting officials. During the event, he described the training programme as a vital initiative designed to strengthen bilateral ties through sustained institutional engagement, professional collaboration, and enhanced people-to-people exchanges.
High Commissioner Imran highlighted the shared commitment of leadership in both countries to fostering closer relations and expanding cooperation in public administration. He also underscored longstanding historical, cultural, and familial bonds, pointing to significant growth opportunities across education, science and technology, trade, culture, media, climate change, and digital governance.
Referring to the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor announced by Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar during an August 2025 visit to Dhaka, the envoy noted that 170 Bangladeshi students enrolled in leading Pakistani universities in 2026, with another 20 expected to join soon.
Recalling that an initial batch of 12 senior Bangladeshi civil servants successfully completed the Executive Leadership Training Programme earlier in the year, officials confirmed that the current delegation represents the second cohort to participate in the expanding institutional exchange initiative.
Why it matters
The training programme expands institutional cooperation and professional engagement between the public administrations of Bangladesh and Pakistan.