Sheikh Hasina’s tyrannical regime was ousted by a student uprising on August 5, 2024. During her 15-year clutch onto power without the people’s mandate, there was in Bangladesh an unmistakable and palpable anti-Pakistan sentiment. Anything and everything associated with Pakistan was conflated with the 1971 unrest, exuding the narrative that any warmth towards Pakistan is, by default, treason. The propaganda related to this narrative was visible to Bangladeshis, but expressing their opinions could very well lead to being disappeared, tortured, and even killed. This propaganda was undoubtedly fueled by the fact that Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League regime were fully backed by India in every sense of the term, thus establishing the roots and nurturing the “Pakistan bad, India good” narrative.
Since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, there have been clear signs of the thawing of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan. This is an excellent step in the right direction and a consequential game-changer in the South Asian regional political, economic, and cultural landscape.
Bangladesh Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has stated that he has “agreed to strengthen relations with Pakistan.” In relation to the outstanding grievances of 1971, Dr. Yunus said, “The issues have kept coming again and again. Let’s settle these issues for us to move forward.”
Dr. Yunus’ viewpoints, it is safe to say, echo those of a large portion, if not the majority, of the sentiment of Bangladeshis. These viewpoints also indicate a significant diplomatic shift in Bangladesh’s political stance from an India-centric one to a much more comprehensive and harmonious one, particularly in relation to Pakistan.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have the potential to build closer and more cooperative ties. For instance, Pakistan can increase exports to Bangladesh by focusing on textiles, agriculture, and manufacturing. Joint energy, infrastructure development, and information technology ventures could boost economic integration. The two countries could also improve their intelligence-sharing mechanisms and collaborate on counterterrorism efforts in the context of shared regional security concerns, border management, and climate change.
Other cooperation could include cultural diplomacy, youth exchanges, and shared educational projects, which can foster greater understanding and friendship between the peoples of both countries.
One of the most notable examples of the clear signs of rapprochement between the two countries was the recent D-8 summit held on December 19, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt. The Chief Advisor of the Bangladesh Interim Government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan met for the second time at the D-8, the first time being at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
The two leaders agreed to enhance bilateral ties by increasing trade, cultural, and sports activities. In November, the first cargo ship in decades sailed directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh.
A revived SAARC may be a solution to curbing India’s hegemonic policies and its desires to recreate a “Greater India,” redrawing the regional map to the pre-partition, pre-colonial age.
In addition to bilateral ties, Bangladesh and Pakistan’s leaders would like to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Reviving SAARC has been one of Dr. Yunus’s biggest regional goals. SAARC’s role includes promoting the welfare of the people in South Asia and prioritizing social, economic, cultural, and technical growth.
Notably, a revived SAARC may be a solution to curbing India’s hegemonic policies and its desires to recreate a “Greater India,” redrawing the regional map to the pre-partition, pre-colonial age. This is a blatant threat to the sovereignty and national integrity of its neighbors, and it is a palpable threat that must be countered.
The recognition of the religious unity between Bangladesh and Pakistan, both Muslim-majority countries, is a key point of a shared interest in the revival of warm relations and fruitful diplomacy. Although this is an immense point of contention for India, whose eternal goal has been to separate two Muslim-majority countries on two sides of its borders, it is a plan that, in the post-Sheikh Hasina era, is failing. Since India mistakenly viewed and, truth be told, still views Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League as the only viable option to leading Bangladesh, it has failed to establish any connections whatsoever with the people of Bangladesh.
India still fails to accept and realize that Bangladesh does not equal Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League. This leads to the mass propaganda campaigns that it regularly devises to attempt to create instability and communal riots in Bangladesh and Pakistan. This is a domain in which a united front countering falsehoods against Bangladesh and Pakistan would be practical.
Reframing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan and envisioning wider goals would benefit both countries. Historical tragedies cannot be altered or overlooked, and they should not be.
However, establishing a mutual understanding and cooperation for a prosperous future is possible and necessary for the Bangladesh-Pakistan relationship moving forward2025.
The article appeared in the southasia.com.pk
