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Atiqur Rahman in Dhaka
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is due to arrive in Dhaka on July 29 on a three-day official visit, after which he will head for Sri Lanka.
There is speculation about the timing of Musharraf's visit, with tensions between India and Pakistan at an all time high.
While the Bangladesh constitution bars military pacts with any country, there is a possibility that Musharraf might seek an assurance from Dhaka that it would not side with India in case of a military conflict between the two countries.
Pakistan's relations with the previous Awami League government in Dhaka were less than cordial.
Dhaka's declaration of a Pakistani diplomat as persona non grata on charges of spying, its refusal to recognise Musharraf as a legitimate head of state after his military takeover in October 1999, and its endorsement of the Commonwealth move to cancel Pakistan's membership were obviously not conducive to better bilateral ties.
Fortunately for Pakistan, the Awami League was routed in the October 2001 general election and was replaced by Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is more friendly towards Pakistan.
A Pakistani diplomat in Dhaka told rediff.com that Musharraf had already visited India and Nepal, two members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and his visit to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka -- also SAARC members -- would take relations forward.
The seven-nation regional cooperation organisation prescribes visits by heads of state or heads of government to other member countries at least once in two years.
While a formal announcement about Musharraf's visit is yet to be made, the two countries are busy finalising the agenda, admitted an official of the Bangladesh ministry of foreign affairs.
According to the diplomat, trade matters between the two countries would top Musharraf's agenda during his talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Musharraf and Khaleda Zia had last met on the sidelines of the SAARC summit held in Katmandu in January this year.
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