The announcement that Bangladesh has extended an invitation to a team from the Pakistani army to train its soldiers has generated significant attention in the Indian media. The recent political turmoil leading to the departure of Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s government has already impacted India’s interests in Bangladesh and the broader region. Now, the emerging relationship between Pakistan and Bangladesh is raising alarms in New Delhi.
Indian media outlets have framed the military training news by highlighting that, 53 years after the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the Pakistani army is set to re-enter Bangladesh. A Major General from the Pakistan Army will oversee the training of Bangladeshi soldiers.
Reports indicate that the training is scheduled to commence in February 2025, with the initial phase taking place at the Army Training and Doctrine Command Headquarters in Momin Shahi Cantonment. This first phase is expected to last for one year, after which the Pakistani army will extend its training to all ten commands of the Bangladesh Army.
The offer for training was made by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman of the Pakistan Army Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, in November. This proposal was accepted by Bangladesh Army Chief waker-uz-zaman, leading to the formal invitation for the Pakistani army to conduct the training.
In addition to military training, Bangladesh is reportedly procuring arms and ammunition from Pakistan. Between September and December, Bangladesh placed an order for 40,000 rounds of ammunition, which is three times the amount ordered the previous year. Last year, the country had ordered 12,000 rounds of ammunition, along with 2,000 rounds of tank ammunition and 40 tons of RDX.
The relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan is expanding beyond military cooperation, encompassing political, diplomatic, and business interactions as well.
On December 19, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan and Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Dr. Muhammad Yunus engaged in discussions in Cairo during the D-8 Summit. This marked their second meeting, following their previous encounter at the UN General Assembly in New York in September. In their Cairo meeting, the leaders committed to enhancing bilateral relations by promoting trade and facilitating cultural and sports exchanges. They also showed a keen interest in collaborating on issues related to the sugar industry and the management of dengue fever, which resulted in nearly 1,000 fatalities in Bangladesh in 2023.
Emphasizing the historical, religious, and cultural connections between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Sharif articulated Pakistan’s intention to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, people to people contact, and cultural exchanges. He underscored the importance of collaborative efforts to identify new avenues for economic partnership and to leverage the significant potential for trade expansion across various sectors, including cement clinkers, leather products, surgical instruments, chemicals, and information technology.
In addition to discussing bilateral ties, the leaders addressed the revitalization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Since the interim government in Bangladesh assumed office, the revival of SAARC has been a central focus of its foreign policy. During a conversation with Shehbaz Sharif, Younis expressed that restoring SAARC is his “top priority,” stating, “I am a strong advocate for the SAARC initiative. I consistently voice my support for this cause. I desire a summit of SAARC leaders, even if it is merely for a photo opportunity, as it would convey a powerful message.” In this regard, Shehbaz Sharif indicated his support for the initiative and proposed that both nations should take incremental steps towards rejuvenating the regional platform.
The biennial SAARC summit has not convened since 2014, with the last meeting taking place in Nepal that year. The subsequent summit, which was to be hosted by Pakistan in 2016, was canceled after India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan opted out of participation. Should Younis succeed in revitalizing SAARC, it would yield advantages not only for Pakistan and Bangladesh but also for the other member states of the regional organization.
Dr. Younis emphasized the importance of addressing both bilateral and multilateral relations, urging Shehbaz Sharif to tackle the 1971 issue to facilitate Bangladesh’s progress in its relationship with Pakistan. He remarked, “These issues keep resurfacing. We should resolve them to advance,” and suggested that settling the matter “once and for all for future generations” would be beneficial.
In this context, Afrasiab Mehdi, a former Pakistani Ambassador to Bangladesh, stated in an interview with Voice of America that the question of the 1971 atrocities was effectively settled when Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India formalized their relations through an agreement in 1974.
Afrasiab Mehdi stated that in this agreement, Pakistan expressed remorse for the events of 1971, while Sheikh Mujib remarked that the Bengali people are capable of forgiveness and moving forward. Mehdi noted that Sheikh Mujib later visited Pakistan, emphasizing that past issues should not be revisited. He pointed out that no one in Pakistan regards General Yahya or General Niazi as heroes, and former military president Pervez Musharraf also conveyed regret over these events by visiting the Martyrs’ Memorial during his trip to Dhaka.
Under Sheikh Hasina’s fifteen-year administration, the relationship between Pakistan and Bangladesh experienced significant tension, which some experts attribute to Hasina’s alignment with India. The relationship deteriorated further when Hasina’s government imposed the death penalty on several leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami party for alleged war crimes from 1971, targeting those who had supported Pakistan during the conflict.
In 2016, both nations expelled diplomats, marking a low point in their relations. Throughout Hasina’s tenure, Pakistan and Bangladesh maintained a strained relationship, largely due to her family’s grievances against Pakistan’s leadership, with her close ties to India exacerbating the situation.
The removal of Hasina and Yunus’s initiatives to enhance relations with Pakistan may raise significant concerns for India. Since its independence following the 1971 conflict with Pakistan, Bangladesh has maintained a positive relationship with India. This partnership has strengthened considerably since Hasina assumed office in 2009, leading to a robust economic and security alliance between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Hasina’s departure, coupled with the “India Out” movement in Bangladesh, carries important geopolitical ramifications for New Delhi. Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, remarked that India has experienced a significant geopolitical loss in Bangladesh, describing the situation as nearly a nightmare for India.
Former Pakistani senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, in an interview with VOA, noted that the political shift in Dhaka has altered Bangladesh’s perspective on its relations with India and Pakistan. He emphasized the growing alignment in the regional and foreign policies of both nations, suggesting that now is an opportune moment to enhance bilateral ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh across various dimensions.
Syed also pointed out that the Bangladeshi populace desires a further deepening of friendly and strategic relations with Pakistan.
Despite the strong ties between Bangladesh and India, characterized by shared borders, water resource collaboration, and significant trade, New Delhi continues to hold strategic importance for Dhaka. Consequently, the post-Hasina landscape suggests a potential thaw in relations between Dhaka and Islamabad, which may lead to improved political and trade interactions between the two countries.
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