Geopolitics Shifts As Bangladesh Warms To Pakistan, Cools On India

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India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – Geopolitics in South Asia is undergoing a sharp turn. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, Bangladesh has increasingly viewed India as an adversary while leaning toward Pakistan — the very nation from which India helped liberate it in 1971.

In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Pakistan and Bangladesh on August 24 signed a visa-free travel agreement for holders of diplomatic and government passports, a symbolic yet significant step in reshaping regional alignments. The pact was one of six agreements inked during the visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar to Dhaka, the first such senior-level trip in 13 years.

The accords cover trade cooperation, diplomatic training, media and education exchanges, cultural initiatives, and joint research in strategic studies. Dar met senior Bangladeshi leaders, including figures from the opposition BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. The latter’s involvement is striking given its historic opposition to Bangladesh’s independence more than five decades ago.

To build goodwill, Pakistan also announced 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students over the next five years, reserving a quarter for medical studies. It pledged to expand its technical assistance program and provide specialized training for 100 Bangladeshi civil servants.