Pakistan approaches Bangladesh as India is looking carefully

The dramatic political development in Bangladesh, which led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year, dumped many surprises – including the growing closeness of Dhaka with a one -time enemy Pakistan.

Last month, after decades of problematic relationships, the two sides began to be traded directly for the first time, with Dhaka importing 50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan. Direct flights and military contacts are also revived, visa procedures have been simplified and security cooperation has been reported.

The sides – separated from the land of India – have deep, painful historical connections. The dislike between them returned to 1971, when Bangladesh – then known as Eastern Pakistan – began a struggle to gain independence from Islamabad. India supported the Bengal rebels during the nine -month war, which led to the formation of Bangladesh.

While the signs of this period deepened, Daka had a heartfelt relations with Islamabad between 2001 and 2006, when the coalition of the Nationalist Party in Bangladesh (BNP) and Jamaat-Eslami ruled the country.

This changed during the 15 -year Hasina Department since 2009 – when it was strongly supported by Delhi and maintained a distance from Pakistan. But after she escaped to India after mass protests against her government, the relationship seems to be thawed.

“In the last 15 years, relations in Pakistan-Benolds have been a slightly difficult trajectory,” says Humayun Kabir, a former senior Bangladesh diplomat, adding that the relationship seems to be returning to that of “two normal neighbors”.

Development is closely observed, especially in India, which has a long history of hostile relations with Pakistan.

Relations between Dhaka and Delhi are frosty after Hasina came out. India did not respond to Bangladesh’s demands to extradite her in order to be against accusations of crimes against humanity, money laundering and corruption. Hasina denies the allegations against her.

Some experts believe that the revival of relations between Dhaka and Islamabad is a strategic move.

“Pakistan and Bangladesh have a tactical relationship right now. Together they want to be a discount on India’s dominance,” says Ayesha Sidika, a Pakistani academic, who is a senior associate at King’s College in London.

There are other developments other than the start of direct trade.

Mohammed Yunus, head of the Bangladesh Provisional Government, met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in multilateral forums several times in recent months.

And then there is an increasing military connection.

The high -level Bangladeshi military delegation made a rare visit to Pakistan in January and had conversations with the chief army of the army, Asim Munir. Bangladeshi Navy also participated in a multinational sea exercise organized by Pakistan off the coast of Karachi in February. S

Vena Sikri, who was the supreme commissioner of India in Bangladesh between 2003 and 2006, describes the growing closeness between Dhaka and Islamabad as a moment of deja wo.

During her term in Dhaka, she said that India has repeatedly raised the issue of “Indian rebels trained inside Bangladesh with the support of ISI (Pakistani Intelligence Agency) and part of the Bangladeshi military.”

“We even provided evidence to the Bangladeshi authorities,” she said.

Authorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh denied these claims at that time.

The long, porous border between India and Bangladesh makes it relatively easily for the armed rebel groups from the Northeastern states of India to move from Bangladesh. But after the Hasina Awami League came to power in 2009, she fell into these groups and disassembled their bases.

So the revival of military ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan is a “major problem with India’s security,” says G -Ja Sikri.

“These are not only military relations. The Pakistani establishment also revives ties with the Islamist parties in Bangladeshi such as Jamaat-e-Eslam, who supported Islamabad during the Bangladesh War,” she adds.

The press of the Yunus administration has flatly rejected announcements in Indian media that senior ISI officials have visited DAKA. He also describes reports that Pakistani operators’ allegations have worked to reopen an Indian insurgent camp in Bangladesh as “unfounded”.

The military in Pakistan did not answer the BBC questions about India’s concerns about ISI’s future role in Bangladesh.

Analysts claim that Bangladeshi politicians are aware that given the close economic and linguistic ties, Daca cannot afford to take an anti -Indian position.

And despite fears in Delhi, Bangladesh diplomats say ties with Pakistan cannot be normalized unless issues related to the 1971 war are resolved.

During the war, hundreds of thousands of Bengali were killed and tens of thousands of women were raped. The war ended with more than 90,000 Pakistani security and civilian staff, surrendered to the joint command of Indian and Bangladesh forces in what is seen as a humiliating head in Islamabad.

Bangladesh asked for an official apology from Pakistan for the atrocities committed during the war, but Islamabad did not tend to do so.

“Pakistan must have the crimes that happened during the War of Independence,” said G -N -Kabir, a former Bangladeshi diplomat. “We also raised the issue of the division of assets before 1971 between the two nations in several bilateral meetings with Pakistan.”

Even former Pakistani military officers such as Ikram Sehgal accept that “the main stumbling block in bilateral ties is the requirement of Bangladeshs that the Pakistanis should apologize for what happened in 1971.”

However, the retired Pakistan army of the Army insists that Bangladesh also has to deal with the question of Bengalis attacks on Urdu speakers During the struggle for independence.

“I witnessed the atrocities that took place against the people speaking of Urdu (in East Pakistan),” said Mr. Sehgal, who now lives in Karachi in front of the BBC.

As the story casts a shadow on the ties between Dhaka and Islamabad, economists say that the two countries can first focus on improving bilateral trade, which is currently less than $ 700 million (540 million pounds), mostly in favor of Pakistan.

“More than 250 million population of Pakistan is a solid market for Bangladesh in the medium and long term,” says Sabrin Beg, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Delaware.

There are currently restrictions, including high tariffs for both countries and business, and exporters are facing visas and obstacles for travel, she said. However, Da Beg says that “improved bilateral political and commercial relations will alleviate these restrictions.”

Some of these issues may be discussed during the visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishak Dar in Dhaka in April. By the end of the year, Bangladesh is expected to hold a general election and a new government may have a different set of foreign policy priorities.

But whatever happens, the bets are high for Delhi, which strongly feels that a stable and friendly Bangladesh is needed to maintain peace and stability in its northeastern countries.