DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh has resumed direct trade with Pakistan for the first time since its independence in 1971, with the first shipment of 50,000 tonnes of rice leaving Port Qasim under a government-to-government deal, officials said.

Dhaka and Islamabad have resumed direct trade for the first time since the 1971 war that led to the formation of Bangladesh in South Asia.

In a major development, direct trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh has resumed after five decades, with the first government-to-government cargo departing from Port Qasim on Saturday.The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) bulk carrier MV Sibi is transporting 26,

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has invited SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to visit Bangladesh and launch Starlink satellite service in the country in 90 days. Yunus wrote a letter to Musk on February 19.