ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir sat with Bangladesh Army officer Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan with the national flags of each country placed on the table between the two countries.
This was the high point of Hassan’s visit to the Pakistani capital, where he also met other senior Pakistani military officials. Pakistan’s military’s media wing commented on Tuesday’s meeting between Munir and Hassan, describing the two countries as “brotherly nations.”
For most of the 54 years since Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan after one of the bloodiest wars of the 20th century, Dhaka and Islamabad have not viewed their relationship that way.
Tensions between the two countries deepened during the nearly 16-year rule of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in August following mass protests and the government’s support from neighboring countries. He was forced to flee to India.
However, since Hasina’s resignation, there has been a general anti-India sentiment in both countries’ politics, and Pakistan and Bangladesh are moving closer to each other in an apparent reset, overcoming historic hostilities between Islamabad and Dhaka. .
Pakistan’s military said in a statement that Munir and Hassan “stressed the importance of strengthening military ties and reaffirmed their commitment to protect this partnership from external disturbances.” The meeting between the two countries was part of a series of high-level exchanges between the countries.
Last month, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Mohammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s transitional government, at an international summit in Cairo, Egypt, and the two met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to visit Bangladesh next month for the first time since 2012, with analysts suggesting the geopolitical ground in South Asia may be shifting. .
Solve the problem once and for all
The historical rivalry between Islamabad and Dhaka has its origins in Bangladesh’s war of liberation from Pakistan in 1971. According to independent estimates, Pakistan’s military and allied militias have fought Bengali rebels, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people. These estimates suggest that at least 200,000 women have been raped.
With the support of the Indian Army, Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his Awami League Party led Bangladesh to independence. He became its founding president and earned the title “Father of the Nation.”
Pakistan accepted Bangladesh’s independence in 1974 under a tripartite agreement with India, but unresolved issues remained between Islamabad and Dhaka. These include the lack of a formal apology from Pakistan for the atrocities, the repatriation of Urdu-speaking people from Bangladesh who identify as Pakistanis, and the division of pre-1971 assets between the two countries.
During his meeting with Sharif in Cairo, Yunus urged Pakistan to resolve long-standing issues.
“The issue has come up again and again. Let’s resolve it once and for all for future generations,” Mr. Yunus told Mr. Sharif, according to Bangladesh’s state news agency.
Sharif said he would consider “unresolved issues”, the station reported.
changed dynamics
Ashraf Qureshi, Pakistan’s former special envoy to Bangladesh, told Al Jazeera that the new government’s move in Dhaka comes after tensions in relations between India and Bangladesh over New Delhi’s longstanding support for Hasina’s “authoritarian” government. He said that this may have prompted a review of the issue.
Last month, Yunus’ interim government demanded that New Delhi extradite Hasina for “judicial proceedings”. Hasina is accused of overseeing a series of human rights abuses under her rule, including a crackdown on protesters in the weeks leading up to her ouster. The Indian government has not yet responded to this request.
India has repeatedly expressed concern about the fate of Bangladesh’s Hindus, who make up about 8 percent of Bangladesh’s 170 million people and have traditionally been strong supporters of the Awami League. New Delhi suggested they were being persecuted.
Bangladeshi authorities strongly reject the claims, adding that disinformation by Indian media is increasing tensions between the neighboring countries.
“Certainly, if you are Bangladeshi, you will consider your options. And given the state of relations with India, Pakistan will also come into the equation, leading to better relations than before.” Qureshi said.
Qureshi said India also faces a dilemma over Hasina. “India cannot just hand over Hasina because that would mean India would be willing to abandon someone who supported them,” he said.
However, Walter Ludwig, a senior lecturer at King’s College London, cautioned against exaggerating the importance of recent diplomatic and military exchanges between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“I think this is a remarkable event given the relationship between the two countries over the past 15 years, but at the same time I want to be careful about reading too much into it. There are still historical tensions and divergent interests between the two countries,” Ludwig said. told Al Jazeera.
Qureshi also warned that the geographical realities of the region mean Bangladesh cannot afford to take an anti-India stance.
“They share a long border. Their water sources originate from India. At best, they may take a slightly more independent policy stance than they did under Sheikh Hasina, but they may take an anti-India position. “I don’t think there will be,” he said.
Ludwig agreed.
“Various political actors within Bangladesh are openly acknowledging the geographic and economic realities. These are noteworthy trends, but a series of significant policy changes are needed before a reassessment of the region’s geopolitics can begin. “It needs to be accompanied by,” he said.
India and Taliban involvement
The growing ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan also come amid broader geopolitical developments reshaping South Asia, including India’s dramatic engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers in recent months.
New Delhi has not yet formally recognized the Taliban government, but Indian officials recently met with Afghan officials. Last week, India’s Foreign Minister Vikram Misri met with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai in the most high-profile public encounter between New Delhi and the Taliban.
Diplomatic relations between India and the Taliban have irritated Pakistan. Pakistan has patronized the Taliban for decades, offering refuge to their leaders fighting the U.S.-led forces in the country.
But in the past year, when deadly attacks in Pakistan have surged, Islamabad’s influence over the Taliban has weakened significantly, with many members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban group, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, which shares ideological affinities with Afghanistan. The attack was attributed to Pakistan (TTP). Taliban.
Pakistan claims TTP fighters are being provided shelter and training on Afghan soil, a charge the Taliban denies. Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul peaked last month when the two countries exchanged airstrikes.
Fellow former Pakistani diplomat Burhanul Islam said improved relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh could be seen as a “new beginning” after Hasina’s ouster.
“Perhaps Bangladesh is looking for military support and security umbrella from Pakistan. I hope that both countries are moving in the right direction and that the military leaderships of both countries want to improve relations with Pakistan.” The Islamic side told Al Jazeera.
“Economic opening”
Ludwig believes Bangladesh’s economy is steadily growing, despite recent setbacks from last summer’s large-scale riots, and that this may be helping Islamabad improve relations.
“Pakistan needs every economic partner it can get, and this is another motivation for Islamabad to seek stronger ties,” he said.
With a growth rate of 6% since 2021, Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in South Asia. Pakistan, on the other hand, has lagged far behind, growing at just 2.5% last year.
Trade volume between the two countries remains uneven. According to official statistics, Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh amount to $661 million and imports amount to $57 million. Bilateral trade last year reached more than $700 million.
Ludwig believes trade is an area that will see significant changes in the coming days.
“The easing will be notable after a period when there were no direct flights between the two capitals, diplomatic involvement was minimal and people had difficulty obtaining visas,” he said.
“I think the Pakistani government sees potential and opportunity to improve relations.”