India-Bangladesh relations have hit an all-time low after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, coming to the helm in Dhaka.
India-Bangladesh relations: In another move which could further deteriorate the strained India-Bangladesh relations, Dhaka has resumed direct trade ties with Islamabad for the first time since Bangladesh separated from Pakistan, and became a sovereign country in 1971.
Bangladesh to buy 50,000 tonnes rice from Pakistan
According to reports, a Pakistani cargo ship left Port Qasim in Karachi, carrying goods meant for Bangladesh. The development comes weeks after Bangladesh and Pakistan signed a direct trade agreement earlier this month, under which Dhaka agreed to purchase 50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).
The first consignment will arrive in a Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) ship, which will become the first PNSC ship to arrive at a Bangladeshi port, marking a significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh maritime trade ties, the Express Tribune reported.
The rice will be shipped to Bangladesh in two consignments of 25,000 tonnes each, the report said. Analysts believe the bilateral trade agreement will strengthen economic ties between the two countries, and facilitate the development of direct shipping routes.
Yunus govt moving closer to Pakistan
According to the report, Bangladesh’s interim government head, Muhammad Yunus, has been build closer ties with Pakistan, since he came to the helm after the toppling of Sheikh Hasina regime in August last year.
Besides trade relations, the two countries are also developing close military ties, with a four-member delegation of ISI — Pakistan’s notorious spy agency– visiting Bangladesh last month. The delegation was reportedly headed by ISI chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik.
As per the Express Tribune report, bilateral ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh thawed with high-level exchanges between the two countries after the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina, with the Yunus-led interim government offering taking a peace initiative, which met a positive response in Islamabad.
India-Bangladesh relations
India-Bangladesh relations have hit an all-time low after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, coming to the helm in Dhaka.
Widespread communal violence against minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, which has soured Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi, with the latter accusing the Yunus-led interim government of not doing enough, and turning a blind eye to the atrocities perpetrated by radical Islamist elements against the minority Hindu community in the country.
Notably, amid rising tensions in India-Bangladesh relations, Dhaka is reportedly preparing for a direct military confrontation with India, according to an intelligence report.
