Bangladesh-Pakistan Relations: Signs of a Diplomatic Reorientation

INTRODUCTION: A HISTORICAL DIVIDE

The legacy of the 1971 Liberation War continues to cast a shadow over Pakistan-Bangladesh relations. Bangladesh’s emergence, facilitated by Indian military support against West Pakistani repression, laid the foundation for decades of strained ties. Post-independence, Islamabad’s reluctance to acknowledge wartime atrocities and its failure to offer a formal apology further deepened mistrust. While occasional diplomatic gestures occurred, sustained engagement remained absent. Dhaka aligned more closely with India, while Pakistan maintained limited interaction, often disrupted by political or ideological divergences.

DEVELOPMENTS SIGNALING A THAW SINCE HASINA’S DECLINE

The political weakening of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently absent from Bangladesh for over eight months, has opened space for a reorientation in Dhaka’s foreign policy posture. A series of developments in late 2024 and early 2025 mark a visible shift towards engaging Islamabad:

• Ministerial Endorsements of Closer Ties: Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif publicly praised the idea of deeper economic, political, and cultural engagement with Bangladesh. This followed Bangladesh High Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Hussain Khan’s remarks in Islamabad expressing readiness to strengthen ties.
• Revival of Bilateral Mechanisms: After a 15-year gap, foreign secretary-level talks between Islamabad and Dhaka resumed in Dhaka — a key indicator of formal re-engagement.
• Media Signals and Public Messaging: Pakistani media widely covered the developments, with coverage notably taking place during Hasina’s political eclipse. This media openness is often aligned with state messaging, suggesting high-level backing.
• Diplomatic Warmth During Ramadan: Both countries exchanged official Ramadan greetings in April 2025 — a soft yet symbolic sign of cordiality returning to bilateral ties.
• Student and Cultural Exchanges: Proposals have reportedly been floated for reintroducing academic and cultural exchanges between Bangladeshi and Pakistani institutions — a practice discontinued since the mid-2000s.
• Statements from Opposition Leaders: Bangladesh’s opposition figures, such as Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and others, have welcomed improved ties with Pakistan, presenting it as a corrective to Dhaka’s “overdependence” on India.
• Chinese Encouragement: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Beijing’s envoy in Islamabad have indirectly supported Dhaka-Islamabad engagement, aligning it with China’s broader South Asian strategy.
• Logistics and Transport Proposals: Talks have included the possibility of reactivating old railway links and transit arrangements, although these remain in early stages.

IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA

• Growing Policy Dissonance in Dhaka: India is closely watching the evolving sentiment in Bangladesh, where anti-India rhetoric — once fringe — is gaining space even within the political mainstream. This includes criticism over trade imbalances, border management, and citizenship-related issues.
• Strategic Balancing by Bangladesh: Dhaka is seen recalibrating its foreign policy by embracing multipolarity. The dual engagement with China and Pakistan reflects a strategy to extract more from India while reducing unilateral dependency.
• Risk of Diplomatic Fatigue: India’s diplomatic efforts in South Asia have faced friction, with some neighbouring countries interpreting India’s regional posture as overbearing. The 2015 Nepal blockade still resonates, and similar perceptions in Dhaka may drive its pivot.
• China as a Converging Factor: Beijing is encouraging closer Pakistan-Bangladesh ties, both to counterbalance India and to strengthen its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) footprint. This triangular alignment poses strategic challenges for India.
• India’s Recent Decisions Amplify the Strain: India’s suspension of transshipment privileges and shelving of bilateral transport projects with Bangladesh have further signaled cooling ties. These policy decisions are being interpreted in Dhaka as punitive.
• New Delhi’s Cautious Watch: While Indian officials maintain that these shifts have not yet hurt Indian interests tangibly, there is a visible recalibration underway. Some voices within India’s foreign policy establishment are urging a re-engagement with Bangladesh’s evolving leadership structures.

QUOTE

“Foreign policy must be a bridge of understanding, not a fortress of suspicion.”