ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday said it is strategically possible for Dhaka to join a regional grouping with Pakistan without India, though such an arrangement would be difficult for Nepal or Bhutan, according to Bangladeshi media.
“It is possible for us strategically … but it is not possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a grouping with Pakistan excluding India,” he told reporters at the foreign ministry, according to state-run BSS News reported.
His comments followed Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent statement at the Islamabad Conclave that a new trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, China and Pakistan had begun and could expand to other countries.
Touhid said Dar “has said something, and perhaps at some point this could see some progress,” noting that he had only seen the information through the media.
Improving Pakistan-Bangladesh ties
The remarks come amid warming relations between Islamabad and Dhaka following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.
In August this year, Foreign Minister Dar visited Bangladesh for the first time in 13 years. In September, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and the D-8 Summit, signaling a reset in ties.
Bilateral trade also rose by about 20 percent in FY2024-25, from nearly $712 million to $865 million. Direct sea trade resumed for the first time in more than 50 years, and Bangladesh later cleared Pakistan’s Fly Jinnah to begin direct Karachi-Dhaka flights. High-level military contacts also restarted, with exploratory talks on defense cooperation.
The Yunus-led interim government has adopted a broader foreign policy approach, moving away from the Awami League’s India-focused posture. This has created space for pragmatic engagement with Islamabad, though the unresolved legacy of the 1971 Liberation War remains a major hurdle.
