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In a development with major diplomatic implications for South Asia, Pakistan has offered Bangladesh access to the Karachi Port, opening the door for Dhaka to expand its global trade network, according to a report by Samaa TV on October 28. The offer was made during the 9th Pakistan–Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting held in Dhaka — the first such session between the two countries in two decades. The meeting was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez and Bangladesh’s Finance Advisor. What the offer means An official statement from Pakistan’s Petroleum Ministry said both sides underscored the importance of strengthening ties between their national shipping corporations and facilitating trade through Karachi Port Trust — Pakistan’s busiest seaport and a key gateway for South Asian maritime trade. Diplomatically, the gesture signals a rare thaw between Islamabad and Dhaka, which share a complicated history. Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, broke away from West Pakistan with India’s support in 1971. A collaboration involving port access — effectively linking the two nations across India’s geographic expanse — carries strong symbolic and strategic undertones. Expanding bilateral cooperation Beyond maritime trade, the two nations also agreed to expand cooperation in energy, climate change initiatives, investment, tourism, IT and communication, and industrial development.Plans are underway to resume direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh to promote business and people-to-people ties. A memorandum of cooperation was also signed between the Pakistan Halal Food Authority and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute, paving the way for joint ventures in the global halal food market.Other areas of cooperation include agriculture, education, banking, textiles, and health. Timing crucial for India The move comes at a sensitive moment in India–Bangladesh relations, which have deteriorated since Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government last year following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a youth-led uprising. Yunus’s government has made a series of decisions perceived as anti-India, including trade restrictions and provocative political gestures — such as gifting a distorted map of Bangladesh to a visiting Pakistani general, depicting Assam and other northeastern Indian states as part of Bangladesh. In response, New Delhi has tightened trade measures, including bans on Bangladeshi imports like jute and processed food, seen as retaliation against Dhaka’s curbs on Indian yarn exports earlier this year. Backdrop of shifting alliances With Hasina now in exile in India, Dhaka’s pivot toward Islamabad marks a striking geopolitical turn. Pakistan’s overture — especially through a high-value port access proposal — could reshape regional trade alignments and further test India’s influence in South Asia.
