Pakistan clears direct Dhaka-Karachi flights: Is this rapprochement only about travel and should India worry?

(FILES) Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (L) speaks with Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the D-8 summit in Cairo on December 19, 2024.

Pakistan has temporarily approved Biman Bangladesh Airlines to operate direct Dhaka-Karachi flights, reflecting warming ties after political changes in Bangladesh. The move signals closer engagement, raising regional concerns, especially for India.

Did our AI summary help?

Pakistan has granted Bangladesh’s national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines temporary approval to operate direct flights between Dhaka and Karachi, a move that underlines the quiet but steady warming of ties between the two countries. The clearance, issued by Pakistan’s aviation authorities on a trial basis, will remain valid until March 30, according to Pakistani media reports.

The decision comes amid renewed diplomatic engagement following political changes in Bangladesh in August 2024, which brought interim leader Muhammad Yunus to the forefront. Since then, Dhaka has taken several steps that signal a shift towards closer engagement with Islamabad, reversing years of distance rooted in historical grievances from the 1971 Liberation War.

Both sides have been discussing the resumption of direct air links since last year. Pakistani daily Jang reported that the arrangement is being handled by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan, with flight schedules and operational details expected to be finalised in the coming days. The report added that Biman’s flights will operate strictly under Pakistani aviation rules, highlighting Islamabad’s control over the arrangement.

Bangladesh’s ambassador to Pakistan, MD Hussain Khan, had earlier indicated that both sides were close to a formal agreement on direct flights. Officials from both countries have framed the move as a way to boost trade, business travel and cultural exchanges. However, critics argue that the outreach appears more political than economic, given the limited demand and unresolved trust deficit between the two nations.

The aviation link is part of a broader pattern. In October last year, Pakistan granted Bangladesh access to the Port of Karachi, a step that Pakistani media claimed would help Dhaka expand its global trade routes. Soon after, during the ninth Joint Economic Commission meeting in Dhaka, Pakistan offered deeper cooperation in shipping and logistics. The meeting, the first in two decades, was co-chaired by Pakistan’s petroleum minister Ali Pervez and Bangladesh’s finance adviser, signalling what both sides described as a renewed economic partnership.

Yet, the rapid pace of engagement has raised eyebrows within Bangladesh as well. Yunus, who once projected himself internationally as a neutral figure, has been accused by critics of pushing Dhaka closer to Islamabad while downplaying Pakistan’s past role in Bangladesh’s history. Analysts point out that Pakistan’s eagerness to revive ties appears driven less by economics and more by its desire to regain strategic relevance in South Asia after years of isolation.

For India, the revival of Bangladesh-Pakistan links is being watched with unease. Under Yunus, Dhaka has taken a series of steps that suggest a recalibration away from New Delhi, even as Pakistan looks to position Bangladesh as a new strategic partner in the region. New Delhi has long viewed Islamabad’s outreach to Dhaka through the lens of security, given Pakistan’s history of using regional relationships to counter Indian influence. Direct flights, port access and growing economic coordination may appear benign on paper, but together they signal a geopolitical drift that could complicate India’s eastern security and diplomatic calculus.