Pakistan and Bangladesh announces visa-free regime

On July 23, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi, and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Lieutenant General (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, held high-level talks in Dhaka and decided that the diplomats and other official passport holders of both nations will have a visa-free entry. The latest decision can be deemed as a significant improvement in the Islamabad-Dhaka relations, which have been on a progressive foot since the interim government under Mohammad Yunus took control of the country’s administration.

“A significant breakthrough was achieved on the facilitation of visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports and both countries reached a principled agreement on this matter”, a statement from Islamabad reiterated. During the meeting, Islamabad and Dhaka also agreed to enhance cooperation in the domain of police training, internal security, anti-narcotics, and anti-human trafficking operations. Both nations also discussed about counter-terrorism operations. The Minister of Bangladesh also thanked Pakistan for rendering training to the Bangladesh police in the National Police Academy of Pakistan.

In the meeting between Pakistan and Bangladesh, it was also decided that a joint committee will be established to oversee and coordinate all the new initiatives agreed upon. Pakistan has also formed a joint committee specifically to boost relations with Bangladesh. Meanwhile, a high-level Bangladeshi delegation will soon visit Islamabad to understand the dynamics of the latter’s Safe City Project and National Police Academy. “Your visit is of great significance for strengthening the bilateral relations between our two countries”, said the Interior Minister of Bangladesh.

Increased Security Risks for India

The decision of India’s western and eastern neighbours to have a visa-free regime has raised security concerns in New Delhi. As an impact of the bilateral bonhomie between Pakistan and Bangladesh, there is a possibility of increased movement of Pakistani officials and security personnel in Bangladesh, including the ISI officials, which are a cause of concern, especially in the eastern and northeastern borders of India. The move might lead to spike in anti-India elements across the border and New Delhi has to be extremely vigilant and stay on high alert to counter the resurgence of anti-national threats or extremist activities emanating from the eastern borders.

Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s regime and the takeover of the Bangladesh administration by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, ties between Islamabad and Dhaka have been growing, unlike the Hasina government, which had limited interactions with Pakistan. This is indeed a strategic concern for India in terms of ensuring national security and territorial integrity.

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