Afghan Taliban’s Outreach Continues as Senior Official’s Dhaka Visit Draws Attention

By Sadik Sagar, Dhaka, December 30, 2025

The Afghan Taliban government has been actively pursuing what it describes as an “economic diplomacy” strategy, seeking to expand relations with a wide range of countries to gain international legitimacy and attract trade and investment. As part of this broader outreach, Taliban officials have been travelling to different countries in recent months, including a high-profile visit by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India in October, widely described as groundbreaking.

Against this backdrop, the recent visit of a senior Afghan foreign ministry official to Dhaka has appeared natural in diplomatic terms, yet it has drawn attention within Bangladesh’s diplomatic, political, and security circles due to questions surrounding the nature and scope of his engagements.

Mollah Noor Ahmed Noor, a director general at Afghanistan’s foreign ministry and a senior political figure associated with the Taliban administration, arrived in Dhaka from Dubai on 21 December aboard an Emirates Airlines flight. During his stay, he held a series of meetings and visits, many of which were not publicly announced in advance, before departing the capital earlier this week.

According to official sources, Mollah Noor was initially expected to attend only one seminar. However, his itinerary expanded beyond that stated purpose. During his visit, he held an informal courtesy meeting with Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman at the Secretariat and met several politicians, religious leaders, and educationists. Among them was Mamunul Haque, Amir of Khelafat Majlish, as well as other prominent figures linked to the Qawmi madrasa education system.

Mollah Noor also visited several madrassahs in Dhaka and its surrounding areas, including Jamiyah Qaramia in Fatullah, Faridabad Madrassah, and Jamiyah Rahmania Arabia in Mohammadpur. These visits added to the visibility of his stay, despite the absence of any formal announcement from the government.

Confirming the meeting, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told the Daily Times of Bangladesh that the interaction was unplanned and brief. He said Mollah Noor arrived at his office on Sunday afternoon without a prior appointment and was given a 10-minute courtesy meeting. The discussion, he said, was limited to general issues, and he had not been briefed by the foreign ministry about the visit.

Although Mollah Noor was expected to attend a seminar titled “Blueprint of the Islamic Emirates” at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, organised by Bangladesh–Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Abu Sayem Khaled, he did not participate in the programme.

The visit comes amid a series of reciprocal interactions between Afghan officials and religious leaders from the region. In September, Mamunul Haque and several other Bangladeshi religious leaders visited Afghanistan, where, according to Haque, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed interest in improving ties with Bangladesh despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations.

While religious engagement appeared central to the Dhaka itinerary, trade was also discussed. Abu Sayem Khaled told AFP that the visit aimed to explore ways to expand commercial ties between the two countries. The interim government has not officially commented, though a foreign ministry official described the trip as “personal.” Observers say the visit reflects a growing pattern of informal contacts with potential diplomatic and security implications for Bangladesh and the wider region.