Dhaka Hosts Defense Talks as Pakistan, Bangladesh Move Toward Thaw in Relations

Pakistan and Bangladesh have signaled a gradual thaw in their long-strained relations as Chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza held a series of meetings in Dhaka with senior civilian and military leaders to discuss defense and security cooperation, Pakistan’s military confirmed on Monday.

The visit marks another step in cautiously renewed engagement between the two South Asian nations, which were part of one country until Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 following a bloody civil war.

In the decades since, Bangladesh — under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — maintained close ties with India, Pakistan’s regional rival. However, relations between Islamabad and Dhaka have shown signs of improvement since Hasina’s ouster in August 2024 amid a student-led uprising, as both sides reopen diplomatic and defense channels.

Earlier this year, in January 2025, Lt. Gen. S.M. Kamr-ul-Hassan, Bangladesh’s Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, paid a rare multi-day visit to Pakistan. This was followed by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s official visit to Dhaka in August.

According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement,

“Both sides held detailed discussions on the evolving regional and global security environment and recognized the importance of strengthening bilateral defense and security cooperation.”

The ISPR added that General Mirza reaffirmed Pakistan’s appreciation for its “longstanding fraternal ties with Bangladesh” and underscored the shared resolve to deepen relations based on sovereign equality and mutual respect.

“Both sides expressed optimism about enhancing defense collaboration and reaffirmed their commitment to expand military-to-military engagements and related initiatives,” the statement said.

During his visit, General Mirza also toured the School of Infantry and Tactics in Sylhet, where he interacted with faculty members and trainees. Bangladeshi civil and military leadership reportedly praised the professionalism and counterterrorism achievements of Pakistan’s armed forces.

Earlier, at Senakunjo, General Mirza was accorded a Guard of Honour and laid a wreath at Shikha Anirban, the national memorial honoring Bangladesh’s war martyrs.

Ties between the two nations have also seen movement in the economic sphere. In February 2025, Bangladesh resumed direct trade with Pakistan for the first time since 1971, sending a shipment of 50,000 tons of rice from Port Qasim under a government-to-government agreement — a significant symbolic and commercial milestone.

Source: Arab News