Last year, in August, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina fled to India after being overthrown from power. Sheikh Hasina resigned from her post and left the country following weeks of student-led protests.
After her departure, an interim government was formed, led by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who was appointed Chief Adviser of Bangladesh until the next election. According to Yunus and his interim government, the next general elections are expected to be held in late 2025 or early 2026.
During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, India-Bangladesh ties were strong, while relations with Pakistan were strained. Her government did not attempt to improve relations with Pakistan. However, after her removal, the situation began to change, with the Yunus-led interim government working to establish official relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
According to The Tribune Pakistan, a rare visit took place involving a Bangladesh general meeting with Pakistan’s military leadership at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The meeting between the two military generals occurred on a Tuesday.
The article reported that Lt-Gen S M Kamr-ul-Hassan, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh, met with Pakistan’s military leader. He is the first Bangladeshi general to visit Pakistan for bilateral ties in decades. This meeting marks the first military bilateral engagement since Sheikh Hasina left the country.
The article also mentioned that Lt-Gen S M Kamr-ul-Hassan held separate meetings with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza.
Is It a Signal for India?
This is the first time in a decade that a Bangladeshi military official has visited Islamabad for a bilateral meeting. According to The Tribune Pakistan, the discussions focused on matters of “mutual strategic interest” and explored avenues for enhancing bilateral defense cooperation.
Experts suggest that Bangladesh and Pakistan are moving towards strengthening their political and military relations, which could concern India. However, they also believe that this development may not significantly impact India, as it could primarily harm Bangladesh.
India imports ready-made garments, textiles, and leather goods from Bangladesh, which are non-essential items. In exceptional circumstances, India could ban these imports and source them from other countries.
On the other hand, Bangladesh imports essential items such as raw materials, food, machinery, textiles, raw cotton, and refined petroleum from India. If India halts trade with Bangladesh, it could lead to skyrocketing inflation in Bangladesh, affecting daily necessities like rice, pulses, and salt.
In 2023-24, India’s exports to Bangladesh amounted to $11 billion, while imports from Bangladesh, including ready-made garments and leather goods, were $1.84 billion.
