Why Pakistan rushes to fix the walls with Bangladesh Politics News

Islamabad, Pakistan – When the Foreign Minister, Isaac Dar, He landed at Dhaka Airport On the morning of the wind on August 23, this was the first time in 13 years, as a senior Pakistani official visited Bangladesh, which was broken from Pakistan 54 years ago.

Dar, who also holds the position of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister, made an optimistic tone, describing the “historical” tour of the beginning of “a new stage of our restoration partnership.”

In recognition of melting in bilateral relations, he referred to the “great progress” made during the past year.

“We must work together to create an environment where young people from Karachi to Cheetagong, Kitta, to Rajeshi, Peshawar to Silhit and Horoor to Dhaka, in the face of challenges and achieve their common dreams,” said Dar, namely naming cities throughout the two countries.

His visit symbolizes a penetration after months of diplomatic and military contracts between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Relations have risen rapidly since former Prime Minister Bangladeshi, Sheikh Hasina, who was widely seen as close to India, and forced by the huge protests led by students.

But Masoud Khaled, the former Pakistan ambassador to China, warned that the past is still building confidence between the two countries.

“The new Bangladesh government has responded positively to Pakistan’s gestures. It is clear that there are artificial barriers to the relations that have been now removed,” he said to the island of the island.

He said that what was required now was “a framework for the deepest participation, as constructive dialogue can disperse misunderstanding.”

Military and diplomatic connections are tightened

While Pakistani Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif met with the Nobel Prize winner, Mohamed Yunus, the leader of the interim government in Bangladesh, twice last year, a few analysts expected such a rapid improvement in relations, or regular high -level exchanges that followed.

In January, General Sam Kamir Al -Hassan from the Bangladesh Army Islamabad visited To meet the commander of the Pakistani army, General Ameme Monir. In February, the head of the navy in Bangladesh, Admiral Mohamed Nazmoul Hassan, followed, and after two months, the Pakistani Foreign Minister traveled to Baloch to Dhaka.

Dar’s trip was delayed due to Pakistan’s four -day clash with India in May, but July, Interior Minister Mohsen Naqafi, visited Dhaka.

The arrival of Dar eventually coincided with Dhaka in August with Lieutenant Muhammad Fayzur Rahman, Director General of the Bangladesh Army in Pakistan, where he held talks with the head of the Pakistani Joint Chiefs Committee, General Saher Shamshad Mirza.

Delwar Hussein, a professor of international relations at Dhaka University, said that “hasty efforts” for Pakistan to strengthen relations are strategic.

He told Al -Jazeera Foundation: “Pakistan was trying to normalize relations even under the government of Hasina. They now see an opportunity to revive the bonds they enjoyed in the afternoon after 1975,” referring to the period after the assassination of Sheikh Mujib Al -Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh and the father of our guidance.

Relations between Islamabad and Daka were normalized under the leadership of Zour Rahman, the head of the military in Bangladesh, who turned into a president, who led the country from late 1975 until he was assassinated in 1981.

Hussein added: “The regime changed historically a set of friendship and fertility in Bangladesh’s relations with India and Pakistan. Pakistan may also want to exploit the current tensions in Bangladesh’s relations. This is a common diplomacy.”

The legacy of the independence war in Bangladesh

For decades, Islamabad and New Delhi looked at relations with Dhaka through the perspective of their competition, a dynamic rooted in the War of Independence in Bangladesh in 1971.

When Pakistan and India gained independence from Britain in 1947, Pakistan was created as an Islamic majority country with two separate geographical wings.

The western pavilion, which was home to about 34 million people of various races, was seen as dominant. The eastern wing, east of Pakistan – which would become Bangladesh – was more populated, with more than 42 million Bengali speakers. India stood between two parts from Pakistan.

With grievances growth in the east, India supported the Bengali liberation conflict. Pakistan military and animal militias carried out atrocities, killing hundreds of thousands of people and playing an estimated estimated 200,000 women.

With the military support of India, Sheikh Mujib Al -Rahman and his party in the Awami Bangladesh League led to independence. He became the founding president of the country.

Hasina, who led Bangladesh for 16 years before its removal last year, is seen widely from India, where she has lived since last year.

Izz Chaudhry, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, said that joint grievances over “regional domination” in India pushed Islamabad and Dhaka to reform relations.

“Bangladeshis suffered from Indian hegemony, and we saw, in Pakistan, in the conflict.

In May, India and Pakistan fought a brief but intense Air warfare for four days After gunmen killed 26 people, most of whom were tourists, in an attack in Bahajam, in the Indian director, Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, allegations that Islamabad refuses.

Shehab Enam Khan, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Indian and Pacific Affairs, described Daka’s relationship with New Delhi as “lukewarm”, although India was an important neighbor, but added that foreign policy is driven by economic taxes.

He said: “Often the anti -India feelings are exaggerated.” “Bangladesh is historically avoiding the presentation of relations, especially with Pakistan, through a purely security or military lens, favoring economic and regional cooperation.”

China’s growing role

Regional dynamics are more complex China’s growing influence In South Asia. Beijing, a close ally of Islamabad, was strong relations with Hasina, who succeeded in increasing her friendship with India and China – although the Asian giants are competitors.

Hussein from Dhaka University said that China managed to maintain a large presence in Bangladesh even after Hasina was expelled. In March, Yunus Beijing, followed by the army commander Bangladesh, visited General Wakel-Oz Zaman on a week-long China trip in August.

He added, “Bangladesh is considering buying 12 J-10C a fighter to enhance its air power,” referring to Chinese aircraft that also has Pakistan, and that Islamabad was used in the conflict in May. China is also the closest strategic partner in Pakistan, the source of both economic loans and investments as well as military equipment.

Hussein said: “These developments approach Dhaka and Islamabad, and turn relations into a strong partnership.”

Trade and politics as the two countries seek a partnership

Dar, which lasted for Bangladesh, was full of meetings, including talks with Yunus and Touhid Hossain.

He also met leaders from a group of political parties, including the National Pingh Party (BNP), the Islamic Group (JI), and the National Citizen Party led by students (NCP), which led the protests that overthrew Hasina.

Abdel -Baytat, the former High Commissioner of India, said that these meetings were of special importance as Bangladesh is preparing for the elections in early 2026. He told the meeting, “Regardless of what is happening between India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bangladesh will enter forward.” “We have problems from the past, but it can be dealt with skillfully and should not become barriers.”

Both can also benefit from close economic relations, as suggested by the former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Khaled and the University of Daca Hussein.

Bangladesh, with a growth rate of 6 percent since 2021, is among the fastest South Asian economies. Pakistan fails to grow by 2.5 percent last year. Currently, bilateral trade is modest, inclined towards Pakistan, whose total exports to Bangladesh reached $ 661 million in 2024, compared to $ 57 million in imports.

But if both countries try to stimulate commercial relations, Hossain said that each other can benefit from the other – as a source of raw materials and possible market.

The academic said that Bangladesh may benefit from importing cotton products, textiles, rice, cement, fruits and foods manufactured by Pakistan. On the other hand, Pakistan can import the products of protein, hydrogen peroxide, chemicals and tobacco products from Bangladesh.

He pointed out that “Bangladesh and Pakistan have a population of 430 million.”

Historical grievances remain

The deepest line of error in Pakistan Bangladesh’s relations is the legacy of the 1971 war.

Dhaka continues to claim an official apology for the atrocities.

Then there is a dispute over the situation of more than 200,000 Muslims spokesman in Bangladesh. After the division in 1947, society has mostly moved to eastern Pakistan from Bihar in current India. East Pakistan – today Bangladesh – was closer to the geographical biology than West Pakistan. But Bangladesh, whose formation was built in 1971 on Bengal nationalism, was granted only the rights of Urdu -speaking Muslims with limited rights, and she wants Pakistan to take them, which is hesitant in Islamabad.

Bangladesh also seeks to divide pre -1971 origins in Pakistan, and transfer the aid promised by West Pakistan to eastern Pakistan in 1970 after a destroyed hurricane, an estimated 300,000 people died. Many historians were largely and largely sufficient for the West Pakistan government as a major catalyst for the liberation war that led to the formation of Bangladesh.

However, Chaudhry, the former Pakistani Foreign Minister, argued that the general feelings in both countries support reconciliation.

“The people of Pakistan are also saddened by the events of 1971 like the people of Bangladesh. I think this pain is common, and people in both countries now want to move forward.”

However, Hussein at Dhaka University said that despite strong support from the current political forces to strengthen Bangladesh’s relations with Pakistan, issues related to the 1971 war are still an obstacle to improved relations.

Hussein said: “It is important to remember that the overthrow of Al -Hasainah from power did not mainly change the minds of the people of Bangladesh over the liberation war and expected from Pakistan to heal the past.”

However, he added that Dhaka does not want to remain stuck in the past as well.

“Diplomacy is a dynamic process,” he said. “