Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Dhaka on Saturday, marking the first high-level visit by a Pakistani official to Bangladesh since 2012. Islamabad described the trip as a “significant milestone” in improving ties between the two nations, which split after the 1971 war.
Dar is scheduled to meet Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, on Sunday, when both sides are expected to sign agreements on trade and cooperation.
The visit comes at a sensitive time in South Asia, with regional balances shifting rapidly. Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have cooled since August 2024, when a mass uprising forced longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. The interim Bangladeshi government has since accused New Delhi of sheltering Hasina and backing her now-banned Awami League, charges India denies.
Analysts say India — which fought a brief war with Pakistan in May — is closely monitoring the growing engagement between Dhaka and Islamabad. “Bangladesh had been one of India’s closest partners, and now it is flirting with India’s chief adversary,” noted US analyst Michael Kugelman.
In recent months, Pakistan and Bangladesh have expanded cooperation, including launching sea trade last year and opening government-to-government commerce in February. Earlier this week, Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan held talks in Dhaka, agreeing to set up joint commissions for trade and investment. Military leaders from both nations also met on Friday in Pakistan.
While efforts to rebuild relations continue, painful memories of the 1971 war remain unresolved. Bangladesh accuses Pakistan’s military of atrocities that killed hundreds of thousands — with Dhaka claiming millions. Calls for Islamabad to formally apologise persist.
Experts say the ouster of Hasina, once India’s strongest ally in Dhaka, has created space for Pakistan to rebuild ties. “The toppling of Hasina was a strategic setback for India, and the improved relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan are a consequence of her ouster,” said Thomas Kean of the International Crisis Group.
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