Vital ties

The fall of Sheikh Hasina, the former PM of Bangladesh, has seen a revival in Pakistan-Bangladesh ties. On November 12 a cargo vessel that departed from Karachi port arrived at Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port, establishing the first-ever direct maritime link between the two countries. This is an important step towards establishing a strong formal trading relationship.

The departure of Hasina has also seemingly led to a bit of a downturn in India’s ties with Bangladesh. With India increasingly becoming a proxy for US interests in the region, strong ties with Bangladesh and other regional partners might prove to be an important counterbalance.

Musa Abu Bakr

Islamabad