Since the dramatic fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following a mass youth-led uprising on August 5, there has been considerable discussion about the possibility of Bangladesh’s renewed relationship with Pakistan.
However, the situation is more complex than it appears, with the events of 1971 – the year of Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan – remaining a pivotal issue that could make or break a relationship between the two countries. Additionally, there is significant misunderstanding about their shared history, particularly among younger generations.
The narratives of pro-Pakistani and anti-Pakistan sentiments within Bangladesh also have the potential to play a crucial role.
In this context, Bangladeshi researcher and journalist Jannatul Naym Pieal interviewed Dr. Moonis Ahmar, a professor of international relations and former dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Karachi, on the prospects for Bangladesh-Pakistan relations under a new government.
Could the fall of Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh’s seemingly worsening ties with India lead to a closer relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan?
That is true to some extent.
Over the past 15 years, Sheikh Hasina’s government had not been open to normalizing or improving relations with Pakistan.
If you recall, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan reached out to Sheikh Hasina several times, and Pakistan’s former High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui also met with her.
However, there was no positive response from her side. It seemed that her government was not interested in maintaining friendly or cordial relations with Pakistan. Now, with her departure, there is certainly an opportunity to normalize relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Certainly there are efforts being made from both sides to revitalize the relationship. But the interim government in Bangladesh [led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus] seems very cautious. This Yunus regime is neither pro-Pakistan or anti-Pakistan. It wants an even handed approach in its foreign policy. It doesn’t want to tilt toward any country. Pakistan thinks that is something very positive.
Still, I don’t have very high hopes from the regime of Yunus. It still looks very fragile, and it is already bogged down with various issues of its own. Its legitimacy is also in question.
Many argue that if a regime wants to establish itself as legitimate, it has to come to power by holding a referendum or fresh elections. Otherwise, the legitimacy of a government remains questionable.