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,