Pakistan eyes Saudi Arabia-like security pact with Bangladesh: What it means for India

Are Pakistan and Bangladesh eyeing a defence pact amid tensions with India? Senior diplomatic and foreign ministry sources have told CNN-News18 that the neighbouring countries are closing in on a proposed Mutual Defence Agreement, signalling a major reset in bilateral ties after the restoration of diplomatic and military engagement.

A top source in Pakistan’s foreign ministry told CNN-News18 that Islamabad and Dhaka have set up a joint mechanism to finalise the contents and draft of the proposed agreement. The move reflects expanding military-to-military engagement and closer strategic coordination.

According to senior diplomatic sources, Bangladesh’s military establishment is keen on a strategic and defence pact with Pakistan, similar in scope to Islamabad’s defence cooperation arrangements with countries such as Saudi Arabia.

Multiple rounds of discussions have already taken place between the military leaderships of both countries to push the proposal forward.

The proposal comes amid signs of growing engagement between Bangladesh and Pakistan, with senior military officials from both sides visiting each other's countries to boost security ties.

Top officials from the army, air force and navy of both sides have held several meetings this year. These engagements have led to the signing of multiple military memorandums of understanding focused on training, capacity-building and professional exchanges.

Sources said progress on the agreement has been steady, but the final draft is expected to be completed after Bangladesh’s general elections. The next government is likely to formally review and endorse the pact.

The rapid momentum follows a sharp improvement in ties after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, with both sides moving quickly to revive diplomatic channels and defence cooperation that had remained limited for years. At the same time, ties between New Delhi and Dhaka have deteriorated.

In the wider regional context, a senior diplomatic source said at least eight countries have expressed interest in similar strategic and mutual defence arrangements with Pakistan, highlighting Islamabad’s expanding defence diplomacy.

Why should India worry?

Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, Pakistan has been quick to court the new leadership in Dhaka.

Islamabad was one of the first to welcome the Muhammed Yunus-led interim government, expressing solidarity with “the people of Bangladesh.”

The bonhomie between the two countries have renewed fears of growing radicalisation in the South Asian country.

Earlier this year, ISI chief Lt Gen Asim Malik's visit to Bangladesh marks - the first by a Pakistani intel head to Dhaka in decades - raised serious security concerns in India.

Recent reports have suggested that Islamabad has quietly established a special Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) cell within its High Commission in Dhaka, according to top intelligence sources quoted by CNN-News18.

According to CNN-News18, the ISI cell was established following a four-day visit by Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, to Dhaka.

Senior journalist Subir Bhaumik told The Federal that New Delhi’s primary concern is the possibility of Bangladesh being used by Pakistan or non-state actors such as Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammed to stage terror attacks inside India and then retreat.

Such a scenario, he warned, could drag India and Bangladesh into a conflict — one that would directly benefit Pakistan.

Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, founder of the Mantraya Institute of Strategic Studies, told DW that the shift in Dhaka-Islamabad ties has security implications for India's northeastern states.

She said that New Delhi should have its eyes and ears on the ground to craft policies to deal with the rapidly changing internal and external dynamics in the region.