Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday spoke to Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during which the two leaders agreed to work closely for the progress and prosperity of the people of both countries.

During the telephone conversation, they further agreed that "greater regional cooperation could play a vital role in uplifting the lives of the people of South Asia”, according to an official statement here.

Sharif's telephone call to Yunus marks the first high-level direct contact between the leaders of the two countries since the change of government in Dhaka.

Prime Minister Sharif highlighted the importance of “revitalizing bilateral relations” through enhanced cooperation across various domains. He emphasised the shared historical, religious, and cultural bonds, and expressed a “keen desire to boost commercial relations, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contacts.”

Sharif congratulated Yunus on his assumption of the leadership of Bangladesh's interim government. He expressed his best wishes to the Chief Adviser and hoped that the goodwill between the two countries would be translated into substantial cooperation for the benefit of their peoples.

Sharif expressed sympathies over the devastation caused by the recent floods in Bangladesh and expressed his willingness to provide support.

Yunus thanked Sharif for the phone call and the congratulatory message received from him following his swearing-in as the Chief Adviser.

The 84-year-old Nobel laureate was sworn in as Bangladesh's interim leader on August 8, vowing to "uphold, support and protect the constitution".

He flew into the capital, Dhaka, just days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down and flee to India.

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