Trade, terror and takeover: Pakistan’s multi-pronged push in Bangladesh
New Delhi: Several attempts have been made to postpone the elections in Bangladesh slated for February this year.
In the run-up to the elections, Pakistan has made several moves that have brought it closer to Bangladesh.
Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, ties between Bangladesh and India have virtually collapsed. However, after the installation of Muhammad Yunus as the caretaker of the interim government, Pakistan seems to have gained a lot from Bangladesh. Not only is it making a radical push in the country to convert the entire population into “India haters”, but it has also made gains in terms of defence cooperation and trade.
For Pakistan, the main agenda was to avenge the 1971 defeat. Once the Hasina regime fell, it moved quickly to work with the Jamaat-e-Islami and ensure that a puppet is installed as the head.
Through Yunus, the ISI wants to get as much done, and if it is not possible to complete its agenda before the elections, there is every chance of it trying to postpone it, officials said.
To go ahead with its plan, ISI also set up a dedicated cell in Dhaka. The cell operated to re-activate all the terror modules that had gone dormant. It ensured that top trainers from terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were sent to Dhaka to train terror operatives and also help in the recruitment of new cadres.
Pakistan also sought to enhance trade with Dhaka. This led to the opening up of the sea routes.
India has raised concerns over this development as security agencies suspect that this route could also be used to transport terrorists as well as arms and ammunition.
The first Pakistani cargo vessel docked at the Chittagong port in November 2024. Further, the two countries also revived the Joint Economic Commission, which has remained defunct for two decades.
Trade between the countries has seen a massive rise since the activation of the commission. Pakistan’s exports of cotton yarn, machinery and chemicals have seen a 27 per cent rise.
The exports to Bangladesh stood at $778.11 million in 2024. This figure jumped by another 20 per cent by 2025. Defence cooperation too has increased significantly between the two countries.
Several high-level meetings have been held between the two sides. Last year also witnessed a high profile meet when Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza met with Yunus.
The AMAN-225 naval exercise also took place during the same period. During these meetings, it was decided that Pakistan would sell the JF-17 Thunder Fighter jets to Bangladesh.
Further, Dhaka decided to buy 40,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition from Pakistan. On the diplomatic front too, there has been an uptick in the number of visits.
In the year 2024, Pakistan’s officials at multiple levels made 1,950 visits to Dhaka. In 2025, the number of visits went up to 3,387. These numbers and developments clearly signal that Pakistan wants to gain complete control over Bangladesh, as was the case before 1971.
Officials said that trade is one side of the story. It wants the people of Bangladesh to feel that their country is not only being used as a launchpad against India.
Intelligence Bureau officials said that Pakistan intends to play a long game in the country. It wants to create a situation where Bangladesh becomes so dependent on Pakistan that no party in power can ignore it. India continues to watch the developments closely.
Currently, for India, the two major issues are secure borders and the protection of the minorities in Bangladesh.
New Delhi has indicated its willingness to work with Bangladesh and is waiting for the elections to conclude in February.
With all opinion polls suggesting a sweep by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), New Delhi has been engaging with the leadership already.
Recently External Affairs Minister visited Bangladesh and handed over a condolence note to Tarique Rahman, the son of Khaleda Zia, who recently passed away.
