Resetting Ties: Pakistan And Bangladesh Chart A New Diplomatic Course

Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have never touched the pinnacle of diplomacy. However, in April 2025, they resumed formal diplomatic talks, suggesting a cautious but optimistic thaw in engagements. Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Ms Amna Baloch, met her Bangladeshi counterpart, Mr Mohammad Jashim Uddin, in Dhaka—the first Foreign Office-level meeting since 2010. It reflects a constructive development for both states, paving the way for enhanced economic cooperation, strategic dialogue, and regional security collaboration. However, this relationship is not immune to challenges shaped by regional politics, particularly considering the potentially negative role that India could play.

Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, has sought to diversify the country’s alliances. He met Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, multiple times—once on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and later at the Developing-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation Summit in Cairo. Bangladesh has also expressed significant interest in expanding its military partnership with Pakistan, specifically through the potential acquisition of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. Moreover, the Bangladesh Navy Ship BNS Somudra Joy participated in the AMAN-25 multinational naval exercise hosted by the Pakistan Navy in February 2025.

Furthermore, economic and people-to-people initiatives have driven much of the recent engagement. The talks between the foreign secretaries were explicitly focused on boosting trade, tourism, transit, and cultural links. Bangladesh has already eased visa restrictions for Pakistani nationals and resumed direct cargo shipping, with imports of 50,000 tonnes of rice from Karachi to Chittagong—steps that were almost unthinkable a year ago. Islamabad has responded with ambition, setting a USD 3 billion bilateral trade target—roughly four times the current level—and is eager to export sugar, wheat, cotton, and textiles to Bangladesh. However, achieving this target will require several strategic measures, including addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers to enhance trade facilitation.

As bilateral ties improve, it is crucial for both states to learn from each other’s best practices. For instance, Pakistan has offered academic opportunities in its agricultural universities, while Bangladesh has extended technical training in fisheries and maritime studies. Additionally, Bangladesh’s acclaimed garment export model and poverty reduction experience can be instructive for Pakistan, whereas Bangladesh could benefit from Pakistani investments and access to its markets.

In an interview, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan noted that Pakistan could serve as a transit corridor for goods coming to Bangladesh from Afghanistan and Iran. In practical terms, private Pakistani airlines such as Air Sial are set to begin flights to Bangladesh, and visa and customs facilitation are also on the agenda. If implemented, these measures could significantly expand commerce and people-to-people contacts, marking a decisive departure from the past and signalling a genuine willingness to reset the relationship.

The trajectory of this relationship, however, cannot be separated from changing regional alignments. India-Bangladesh ties are currently strained. In recent weeks, New Delhi revoked the transshipment facility for Bangladesh’s export cargo to third countries and tightened visa rules. These actions were widely perceived as a response to Dhaka’s outreach to Pakistan.

The new leadership in Dhaka appears to view stronger ties with Pakistan as a necessary balancer against India. However, India sees this rapprochement—particularly if it includes China—as a challenge to its strategic primacy in the region. Dr Yunus’s visit to China in March 2025, where he signed an agreement on economic and technological cooperation along with eight memoranda of understanding, has further irked New Delhi.

As South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman notes, India may tolerate a commercial partnership between Pakistan and Bangladesh, but a military partnership would likely cross a red line, given India’s longstanding security concerns regarding Pakistan.

Although none of these new partnerships have been formally institutionalised, and India still retains significant economic and security ties with Bangladesh, it remains likely that New Delhi could act as a spoiler in the evolving Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship.

Put simply, the sustainability of this thaw will depend on how effectively both governments manage external pressures and potential spoilers. Yet for now, the narrative is one of optimism and cautious engagement. The official discourse has shifted from hostility to dialogue. This strengthening of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations represents not only a bilateral improvement but also a broader effort to diversify foreign alignments. Ultimately, robust ties between Islamabad and Dhaka could contribute to a more balanced regional order and foster greater multipolarity in South Asia.