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 cooperation. However, this relationship is not immune to certain challenges of regional politics, particularly considering the negative role that India can play.
Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, sought to diversify Bangladesh’s alliances as he met Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif numerous times, once on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and latter at the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation Summit in Cairo. Bangladesh has also expressed profound interest in expanding military partnership with Pakistan, specifically in the acquisition of the JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. Moreover, Bangladesh Navy Ship BNS Somudra Joy also participated in the AMAN-25 multinational naval exercise hosted by the Pakistan Navy in February 2025.
Furthermore, economic and people-to-people issues have also driven much of the new engagement. The talks between foreign secretaries were explicitly about 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 ambitiously as the government has set 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.
As bilateral ties between the two states are improving, it is crucial for both to learn from each other’s best practices. For example, Pakistan has offered academic opportunities in its agricultural universities, while Bangladesh offered technical training in fisheries and maritime studies. On top of that, Bangladesh’s acclaimed garment-export model and poverty-reduction experience can be instructive for Pakistan, while Bangladesh can gain from Pakistani investments and markets.
During an interview, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan noted that Pakistan can 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 initiate flights to Bangladesh and visa and customs facilitation are also on the agenda. If implemented, these measures can significantly expand commerce and contacts between the two nations, marking a decisive departure from the past and signalling a willingness to reset the relations.
The development in this relation cannot be separated from changing regional alignments. India-Bangladesh ties are at a low ebb as in recent weeks, New Delhi revoked the trans-shipment facility for Bangladesh’s export cargo to third countries and tightened visa rules. These Indian moves were widely seen as a response to Dhaka’s new outreach to Pakistan. The new leadership in Dhaka views strengthening relations with Pakistan as an imperative balancer against India. However, the latter views the Bangladesh rapprochement towards Pakistan and by extension, China as a challenge to its strategic primacy in the region. Especially, Dr. Yunus’ visit to China in March 2025 and signing of an agreement on economic and technological cooperation along with eight memoranda of understanding has irked India. Therefore, deepening cooperation among Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China may be conceived as a new strategic pressure by New Delhi as highlighted by a South Asian expert, Michael Kugelman. He noted that India may accept a commercial partnership between Pakistan and Bangladesh, but a military partnership would be a red line owing to its long-held fears about Pakistan.
Though none of these partnerships is formalised and India still retains deep economic links and security interests with Bangladesh, it remains likely that India will play the role of a spoiler in improving Pak-Bangla ties.
To put it simply, the sustainability of this thaw will depend on how both governments manage external pressures, and spoilers. Yet for now, the narrative is one of optimism and cautious engagement. The official discourse has shifted from hostility to dialogue, and this strengthening of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations represents not only a bilateral improvement but also a broader attempt to diversify foreign alignments. Ultimately, robust ties between Islamabad and Dhaka can contribute to a more balanced regional order, fostering regional multi-polarity.
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