Bangladesh-Pakistan relations

Noorul Islam

Dhaka

The leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus seems to have brought about a sea change in the approach of his country to Pakistan from which the then East Pakistan seceded in 1971. It is therefore heartening to note that Bangladesh has resumed direct trade with Pakistan for the first time since 1971, with the first shipment of 50,000 tonnes of rice leaving Port Qasim under a government-to-government deal. It is therefore instructive to note that bilateral trade between the two countries has surpassed $1 billion mark. Given the evolving nature of Dhaka-Islamabad ties, it is increasingly clear that Bangladesh will be adopting an overtly pro-Pakistan stance to the chagrin of India. With a common history and conformity on almost all international issues, both the countries are likely to chart a new course of greater mutual cooperation in the post-Hasina Wajed Bangladesh. In my view, both the countries are expected to come out of bitter shadow of the past in due course. Needless to say, regional dynamics have begun to shift, with highly significant improvement in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations. In my view, Pakistan in particular will be required to demonstrative that it is very accommodative of Bangladesh’s needs.