ISLAMABAD: Fifteen leading Pakistani companies will today, Thursday, take part in Leathertech Bangladesh, a major leather-industry trade exhibition in Dhaka that brings together regional manufacturers, exporters and buyers of leather goods, tanning chemicals, machinery and footwear products, the Pakistan High Commission said.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have been working to ease decades of strained ties rooted in the events of 1971, when Bangladesh, which was formerly a part of Pakistan, became independent following a bloody war. The legacy of that conflict, including calls in Bangladesh for a formal apology, has long cast a shadow over diplomatic, economic and cultural engagement between the two countries.

Relations have begun to shift following political turmoil in Dhaka last year, when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted after mass protests and fled to India, Pakistan’s neighbor and archhrival. The change in leadership has opened space for both countries to rebuild dialogue, with recent high-level exchanges focusing on trade, investment, shipping connectivity and the possible resumption of direct flights.

“A delegation of 15 leading Pakistani companies will be participating in the exhibition,” the Pakistan High Commission said in its media invite to the event, adding that Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Syed Ahmed Maroof, would inaugurate the Pakistan Pavilion on Thursday.

The exhibition, held from Dec. 4–6 at the International Convention City Bashundhara, is one of the region’s key annual gatherings for the leather sector, an industry in which Bangladesh has emerged as a major exporter. Pakistan’s participation is aimed at expanding commercial ties as both governments explore ways to revive cooperation after years of minimal engagement.

The outreach follows a series of senior-level interactions between Islamabad and Dhaka in recent months, including visits by Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and other ministers, as well as engagements involving senior Bangladeshi and Pakistani military officials. Discussions have also included easing business visas, boosting bilateral trade and improving maritime connectivity between Karachi and Chattogram.

Officials on both sides have said commercial exchanges like the Dhaka exhibition offer a practical way to rebuild confidence as Pakistan and Bangladesh work to expand cooperation after years of diplomatic distance.

Following Hasina’s ouster in 2024 and her subsequent flight to India, relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have come under strain, marked by Bangladesh’s extradition request and India’s refusal to hand her over. The political rupture has unsettled what had long been one of South Asia’s closest bilateral partnerships, creating diplomatic space for countries like Pakistan to re-engage after years of minimal contact. With Dhaka’s new leadership signaling openness to a broader foreign-policy reset, analysts say Islamabad has moved quickly to rebuild ties through high-level visits, trade discussions and renewed commercial outreach.