DHAKA, Bangladesh (Diya TV) — In a major realignment of South Asian geopolitics, Bangladesh and Pakistan have renewed diplomatic and economic relations following the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. This has facilitated direct trade between the two countries for the first time in decades.
The first deal under this fresh agreement saw Bangladesh importing 50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan. The Bangladesh Directorate General of Food in January 2025 entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan’s state-run Trading Corporation for these imports.
This rapprochement comes after the political turmoil that forced Sheikh Hasina to seek refuge in India amidst widespread protests against her regime. The interim government, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has pursued a more even-handed foreign policy, distancing itself from Indian influence and opening doors for better relations with Pakistan.
Apart from trade, the two nations have also agreed to promote high-level dialogue and cooperation, especially in the fields of trade, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contacts. Moreover, there have been talks of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), reflecting a wider commitment to regional cooperation.
Past relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have been tense ever since the 1971 Liberation War in which Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan with the help of India. Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, from 2009 to 2024, consisted of a pro-India policy keeping Pakistan at arm’s length. But the new changes in Dhaka’s politics have opened the door to restoring bilateral relations.
The revived Bangladesh-Pakistan ties are closely watched by regional actors, particularly India, due to the emerging new alignments and their possible implications on South Asia’s geopolitical situation.
