Mokarram Hossain :
With the ouster of fascist Sheikh Hasina in the July-August students’ mass uprising after over 15 years of rule, the country’s political landscape and diplomacy have taken a new turn.
Sadly, Hasina was heavily tilted towards India, where she remains now in exile. This geo-politics drove Bangladesh to downgrade its bilateral relationship with Pakistan persistently.
However, Bangladesh’s strained relationship with Pakistan, which had worsened over the past one and a half decades, has started to improve significantly.
The troubled bilateral relationship had cast a shadow on trade ties, with the Hasina regime imposing a number of non-tariff barriers on importing Pakistani products.
This had led to all consignment from Pakistan being selected for 100 per cent manual inspection, a process that largely hampers trade efficiency.
But the interim government in a recent decision has scrapped the mandatory physical inspection, which we consider a right step in the right direction.
In the meantime, though the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif twice, he is yet to meet face-to-face with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Additionally, Pakistani diplomats in Dhaka have been particularly active following the political transition. Cultural exchanges have also flourished.
In December, renowned Pakistani Qawali maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan performed twice in Dhaka to packed audiences.
Furthermore, in November and December, two cargo ships carrying commodities arrived at Chittagong port – the first such arrivals since the 1971 war of independence.
Since the political transition last year, trade has become a key focus of development between the two countries.
However, bilateral trade remains imbalanced, favouring Pakistan. Notably, between August and December 2024, bilateral trade increased by an estimated 27 per cent, with both nations exploring ways to diversify trade into areas such as construction materials, food products, pharmaceuticals, and information technology, and Pakistan aiming to increase annual trade with Bangladesh to more than four times the current level within a year.
The apex trade bodies of both countries signed a memorandum of understanding on 13 January to establish a joint business council.
It is to be noted that since 2018, there have been no direct flights connecting the two countries.
For years, Pakistanis faced significant challenges in obtaining Bangladeshi visas, as strict security clearances from multiple state agencies made travel practically impossible.
However, the interim government has lifted these restrictions, while Pakistan has responded by waiving visa fees and security clearance requirements for Bangladeshi citizens.
Meanwhile, both countries are trying to increase education collaboration.
The government of Pakistan in December decided to offer 300 fully funded scholarships in various disciplines in leading universities to students from Bangladesh.
In addition, defence cooperation between Bangladesh and Pakistan has seen significant developments since the political transition.
According to some reports, one notable development has been Bangladesh’s interest in acquiring JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan.
But such a defence relationship is likely to impact South Asian geopolitics, particularly given India’s historical influence over Bangladesh’s defence and foreign policy.
The closer ties between Dhaka and Islamabad are already a concern to India, which views Pakistan as a long-standing rival.
However, the raw material imports from Pakistan, especially for our garments sector, will give our entrepreneurs a great competitive advantage.
