{"id":19195,"date":"2024-12-24T06:58:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T06:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cissajk.org.pk\/?p=19195"},"modified":"2025-06-10T08:49:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T08:49:26","slug":"pakistan-bangladesh-relations-in-the-post-hasina-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/?p=19195","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations in the Post-Hasina Era"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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On the side lines of the D8 summit, leaders of Pakistan and Bangladesh held a bilateral<\/a> meeting to discuss issues of mutual interest. This engagement reflects the growing warmth in bilateral relations especially after the fall of Hasina\u2019s government in Dhaka. \u00a0Bangladesh witnessed the most significant turn of history as Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee due to massive protests<\/a> led by students. The repressive actions by law enforcement agencies ultimately resulted in her political demise as she resigned and fled to the neighbouring India<\/a> on August 5, 2024. During her years in government, the Bangladesh-Pakistan relations remained tumultuous due to various factors. As the interim government<\/a> under Muhammad Yunus took over, analysing the trajectory of Bangladesh-Pakistan relations in the post-Hasina era is important.<\/p>

Even though Pakistan formally recognized Bangladesh in 1974, the historic events of separation of East Pakistan haunted the bilateral relations. Regardless, Pakistan and Bangladesh took various initiatives to set the tone of relations especially during the tenure of Zia-ur-Rahman and Hossain Mohammad Ershad. Both countries inked various trade and cultural agreements<\/a> to increase bilateral engagement. However, a critical analysis indicates that domestic and regional political issues dominated the bilateral relationship and both countries could not build a sustainable relationship in the following years. The first and foremost factor is Dhaka’s domestic dynamics and political environment. The two major political parties<\/a> that ruled Bangladesh since its formation are the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It has become a predictable pattern of downsliding in bilateral relationships when AL takes the helm of the affairs in Bangladesh. AL used the anti-Pakistan rhetoric to gain domestic political advantage, which was absent when the BNP came to power. A prominent example of this is the issue of \u2018Apology<\/a>,\u2019 which was never raised until Sheikh Hasina assumed power in 1996. This issue was raised again during her second term in office in 2009, and relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh hit rock bottom.<\/p>

The second factor that augmented the Hasina\u2019s narrative was AL\u2019s closer alignment with India. AL\u2019s tilt towards India is not new. India\u2019s overt support to separatist forces of East Pakistan back in 1971<\/a>, enabling the dismemberment of Pakistan is one of the prominent irritant of relations. The relations between India and Bangladesh were bitter during the late 1970s, it was when Pakistan was forging diplomatic relations with Bangladesh. During the 1980s, the relations were strained, but when Hasina assumed power, a new chapter started in India-Bangladesh relations<\/a>, as relations between the two sides deteriorated simultaneously. \u00a0She resolved many issues with India, prominently the water-sharing dispute in 1996, the Land Boundary Agreement<\/a> (LBA) in 2015, and Bangladesh-India maritime delimitation in the Bay of Bengal in 2014. Additionally, India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trade partner, with a trading<\/a> volume of around US$18bn as of 2022, and a member of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).<\/a> \u00a0At the regional level, Hasina\u2019s government supported Modi\u2019s decision to boycott the SAARC<\/a> summit held in Pakistan in 2016, making the future of such regional organizations uncertain in South Asia.<\/p>

Another important element that hindered prospects of cordial relations was the historical baggage that both countries carried since the fall of Dhaka in 1971. As they say, \u2018time can heal,\u2019 but this doesn\u2019t apply to this case. The perception of animosity and hatred in some segments of the society of Bangladesh against Pakistan has been shaped by the Awami League for political motives. \u00a0Awami League ensured during its three consecutive tenures to direct all the national holidays<\/a> in Bangladesh against Pakistan. Such steps were meant to fuel tensions between the two countries.<\/p>

Pakistan desires a cordial relationship with Bangladesh, as evidenced by the visits that heads of the Pakistani government made to Dhaka from Bhutto<\/a> to Pervez Musharraf. During his visit to Bangladesh in 1998, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif<\/a> said, \u2018Let us learn from the mistakes of the past and build a better tomorrow for our people,\u2019 which perspicuously demonstrated the willingness of Islamabad to improve the relations. \u00a0During his historic visit to Dhaka in 2002<\/a>, President Musharraf<\/a> showed a desire to let go of the past and build a future together. \u00a0This was the last visit made by any heads of state of Pakistan to Dhaka. During the second tenure of Hasina in Bangladesh, Irfanur Rehman Raja, Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner<\/a> in Dhaka, was deemed persona non grata after he passed a statement about the Mukti Bahini, leading to a diplomatic rift between the two countries. Pakistan’s criticism to the execution of Jamaat-i-Islami leaders<\/a> was also denounced by Dhaka. Former PM Imran<\/a> Khan spoke with Hasina during his tenure, but nothing significant came out.<\/p>

The analysis above shows the relative deterioration of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations when AL was in power in Dhaka. With the change in government in Bangladesh, there is a higher likelihood of improved bilateral relations due to several reasons. Increasing demand from Bangladesh to extradite Hasina from India is fuelling \u2018anti-India\u2019<\/a> sentiment in Bangladesh. Several symbols related to India were also attacked by the protestors. Additionally, the death and destruction caused by heavy flooding<\/a> during August 2024 in Bangladesh was augmented by India\u2019s uninformed water release from the Dumbur dam, as per the statement from Bangladesh\u2019s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre. The less compromising tone from officials in Dhaka shows that it will no longer be under Indian influence, which creates a healthy environment for improved Pakistan-Bangladesh relations.<\/p>

Under the leadership of Yunus, Dhaka\u2019s overall regional outlook has also shifted from anti-Pakistan to a more cooperative approach to address bilateral as well as regional issues. Earlier, this year, the PM of Pakistan met Bangladesh chief Advisor on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting, where they discussed bilateral relations. Muhammad Yunus suggested SAARC<\/a> as the stepping stone for revitalizing the relationship between the two countries. On the flip side, the Pakistani PM recently called former high commissioners of Pakistan who served in Dhaka to formulate a strategy to reset ties with Bangladesh. As the country was hit by catastrophic floods<\/a> in the summer of this year, PM Shehbaz wrote a letter to offer humanitarian assistance.<\/p>

Pakistan-Bangladesh relations have long been viewed through the prism of events of 1971, which needs a change. The first step towards this would be to establish people-to-people contact as masses in both countries have goodwill and positive feelings for each other. The relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan is transitioning, and Pakistan should be politically prudent by refraining from irresponsible comments on the internal affairs of Bangladesh. To encourage collaboration and lessen animosity, Pakistan should prioritize its growth, advance political stability, and re-establish economic and cultural links from earlier agreements. The post-Hasina Dhaka seems to be willing to cooperate with Pakistan. The political will on both sides can push the Pakistan-Bangladesh relations towards a positive trajectory. To harness this, both sides must take steps to build confidence while letting go of the bitter past and pursuing mutual forgiveness. A forward-looking approach instead of a regressive one will likely increase the possibilities of cooperation between the two countries.\u00a0 Pakistan and Bangladesh should prioritize enhancing their commercial, trade, and economic relations to promote stability and progress in their countries, as cooperation in these areas may improve bilateral ties and regional prosperity.<\/p>

Author<\/strong><\/p>

Ayesha Sikandar<\/strong> is an International Relations scholar pursuing an MPhil from the National Defense University (NDU). She is currently affiliated with the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI) as a Research Associate. Her areas of interest include the Asian region, with a particular focus on China and the politics of South Asia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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