Pakistan’s Top Diplomat Visits Bangladesh After a Decade – A Turning Point in South Asian Politics
For the first time in over a decade, a top Pakistani official has landed in Dhaka, marking a potential shift in South Asia’s geopolitical landscape.
On Saturday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Bangladesh for a high-level visit — a move Islamabad described as a “significant milestone” in the relationship between the two historically fractured nations. This visit carries a heavy emotional and political weight: Bangladesh was born from the ashes of a bloody 1971 war of independence that tore East Pakistan from the West, leaving behind trauma, mass killings, and decades of tension.
Yet today, after years of diplomatic frost, there is a flicker of something new — perhaps hope.
During his visit, Dar is expected to sign several agreements with Dhaka, particularly in trade, which has already seen notable progress. Since launching sea trade last year, the two countries expanded government-to-government commerce in February. On Thursday, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan discussed forming joint trade and investment commissions during his visit to Dhaka.
More symbolically, top military commanders from both nations met in Pakistan on Friday — a gesture that would have seemed unthinkable not long ago, considering the lingering pain and resentment in Bangladesh over the 1971 conflict. Many still call for an official apology from Islamabad.
But the regional context has changed.
India, traditionally seen as Bangladesh’s closest ally, finds itself at odds with Dhaka following the dramatic fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. A mass uprising overthrew her autocratic rule, and she fled to India, where she remains — defying calls to stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
With India harboring Hasina, interim leader Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been clear in his dissatisfaction. The result? A diplomatic chill between Bangladesh and India, and a surprising diplomatic dance between Dhaka and Islamabad.
“This is more than a visit — it’s a statement,” says South Asia expert Michael Kugelman. “Bangladesh is rebalancing. It’s reaching out to India’s adversary, and that’s not just symbolic — it’s strategic.”
India, which shares nearly all of Bangladesh’s borders, is watching closely. Tensions peaked earlier this month when Dhaka accused India of backing Hasina’s outlawed Awami League — allegations New Delhi has firmly denied.
Observers like Thomas Kean of the International Crisis Group say the changing dynamics are a direct fallout of Hasina’s ouster. “The toppling of Hasina was a strategic setback for India, and the improved relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan are a consequence of her ouster.”
While painful memories from 1971 are far from resolved, this visit signals that both nations might be ready to look forward rather than backward — even if cautiously.
Only time will tell if this is a new chapter or just another fleeting diplomatic attempt. But for now, the world is watching — as two nations, once bitter enemies, begin to talk again.