Ties with Dhaka

People of Pakistan and Bangladesh have always urged for better relations between the two countries. If European states can move forward and build relations of mutual trust by putting the past behind them, so can Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, India has always been a factor that influences Islamabad-Dhaka ties. Since 1971, New Delhi has been exploiting mistrust between the two countries. This is not the case with Islamabad and Dhaka alone. Other neighbouring states such as Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka have also been the target of New Delhi’s ‘interventionist politics’.

But today’s environment, particularly after a deadly clash between Beijing and New Delhi’s military forces in Ladakh, has generated a debate on a paradigm shift in the South Asian region. The United States’ increasing tilt towards New Delhi in pursuance of its Indo-Pacific Security regime; the Nepali parliament’s bold step to document territorial conflict with India; Bangladesh’s entry in China’s Belt and Road Initiative much to New Delhi’s dismay, are some tell-tale signs. It is too early to predict which country will have more benefits of these developments. It is also debatable whether the anti-status quo drive can alter the geo-strategic contours of South Asia. However, the existing scenario has brought an opportunity especially for smaller states of the region to reframe their respective foreign policy priorities with ease.

Islamabad’s ‘forward looking’ approach and its steps to revive its relation with all South Asian states are both timely and mutually advantageous. The recent engagement with Dhaka, especially at a time when India’s relations with its neighbours are souring, is viewed as a stopgap measure. PM Khan’s call to his Bangladeshi counterpart was not an impromptu development. Islamabad, for the last few years, has been actively pursuing a forward looking policy with a mission of peace in the region. Khan’s repeated peace overtures, even to arch enemy India, speak for Islamabad’s invincible stand on regional peace. The sustainability of the recent thaw in Islamabad and Dhaka relations depends on three striking factors: First, how New Delhi responds to this development. Second, to what extent it goes to undermine Islamabad efforts. Third, how Dhaka steers a policy of ‘de-hyphenation’ vis-à-vis Pakistan and India. The above factors will shape the future course of the bilateral relationship between Islamabad and Dhaka. Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach to Indian-dominated states in the region is India’s real bête noire. New Delhi was unhappy with the recent development. The Indian press disparaged the telephonic conversation. India’s ‘The Economic Times’, for instance, reported that the ‘Bangladesh PM snubbed Imran’s efforts to raise Kashmir issue in bilateral conversation’. This was not the case at all. On the other hand, the way the Bangladeshi government responded to India and defended PM Sheikh Hasina’s telephonic conversation was a show of Dhaka’s ‘no foe’ diplomacy. People in Bangladesh highly regarded PM Khan’s words of condolences for the loss of lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic and floods, and appreciated Islamabad’s renewed efforts that are based on mutual trust and respect of each other’s sovereignty.

There are number of commonalities between Pakistan and Bangladesh that can help them build good relations. Also, tremendous opportunities for the two countries lie in the trade sector. To move forward, there is a need to expedite backchannel diplomacy. It is just a beginning, we cannot expect too much at this stage. We have to come a long way to rebuild our ties on political, economic, military, cultural, religious and people-to-people levels. It is time not only for Islamabad and Dhaka but for all regional states, including India, to synchronise themselves with the changing geo-political and geo-strategic scenarios.

The writer is an author and Research Analyst at the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad.

Email: maan_shah@hotmail.com