LAHORE: The visiting delegation of senior Bangladeshi civil service officers continued its landmark visit to Pakistan on Tuesday, attending the second day of engagements at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) Karachi, a visit being widely regarded as a historic milestone in bilateral relations after a gap of more than 53 years.
The ongoing visit, the first by Bangladeshi civil servants to Pakistan in over five decades, is seen as signalling the opening of a new chapter in ties between the two countries reflecting a shared resolve to promote cooperation through dialogue, mutual learning and sustained people to people engagement.
The 12-member delegation was received at NIPA by Rector National School of Public Policy (NSPP) Farhan Aziz Khawaja and Director General NIPA Karachi Dr Syed Saif ur Rehman who reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening professional and institutional linkages with Bangladesh.
As part of the second day’s programme, the delegation attended presentations by leading Pakistani organisations working in education, healthcare and community development, including The Citizens Foundation, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Indus Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital and the Orangi Pilot Project. The sessions highlighted Pakistan’s innovative service delivery models and citizen focused development initiatives.
In his address, NSPP Rector Farhan Aziz Khawaja outlined the philosophy guiding civil service training in Pakistan, stating that the National School of Public Policy and its allied institutions aim not merely to produce career administrators but to nurture principled public leaders capable of shaping institutions and influencing societal progress.
He stressed that civil servants must move beyond routine administrative roles and strive to become transformative leaders, opinion makers and agents of positive change.
Officials described the continued engagement of the Bangladeshi delegation at NIPA Karachi as a strong symbol of goodwill and growing convergence between the two countries. Beyond institutional collaboration, the visit is being viewed as indicative of a more forward-looking bilateral relationship rooted in shared history, mutual respect and a common aspiration for peace, prosperity and regional cooperation.
