A Pakistani cargo ship reached Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port last week. This sounds like a simple thing but it is not. This has happened for the first time in five decades. This was the first direct sea contact between the two countries. The ship from Karachi has successfully offloaded its containers off the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh, port officials told AFP news agency on Sunday, as the two sides try to repair relations that have deteriorated since the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Are doing. Direct maritime connectivity between Pakistan and Bangladesh marks a historic shift in the traditionally complex relations between India’s western and eastern . This also impacts the security of New Delhi. Especially because of Bangladesh’s proximity to the north-eastern states of India.
what came in the ship
Yuan Jiang Fa Zhan, a 182-metre (597 ft) long container ship, had departed from Karachi, Pakistan, for Chittagong, Bangladesh. AFP quoted top Chittagong official Omar Farooq as saying that the ship had offloaded its cargo in Bangladesh on November 11 before leaving the port. Chittagong port officials reportedly said the ship had brought goods from Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. , which includes raw materials and basic food items for Bangladesh’s major textile industry.
Pakistan took a big step
Pakistani goods were usually sent on feeder ships to Sri Lanka, Malaysia or Singapore before being transported to Bangladesh. However, in September Bangladesh, under the new interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, eased import restrictions on Pakistani goods. Opening of direct maritime connectivity is being seen as an attempt by the interim government of Bangladesh to build stronger ties with Pakistan. A social media post by Pakistan’s envoy to Dhaka Syed Ahmed Maroof has been widely discussed on social media in Bangladesh, describing the direct shipping route as “a big step” to boost trade between the two countries.
Will Bangladesh become an Islamic nation?
After the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the interim government of attempted to build closer ties with Pakistan. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and had also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September this year. had recently called for a “new chapter” in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations to enhance cooperation in various sectors, saying “maritime links are essential to revive our relations.” It seems that Bangladesh is also going on the path of Pakistan. The country’s Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman has called for removing the words “socialism” and “secularism” from the Constitution of Bangladesh. This proposal has raised fears that the Muslim-majority nation may move towards an Islamic state.
Sheikh is asking for Hasina
Apart from this, Bangladesh is also demanding the extradition of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India. Dhaka has already issued an arrest warrant for the 77-year-old woman and summoned her to appear in a Dhaka court to face charges of “genocide, murder and crimes against humanity”. Referring to Sheikh Hasina,aid, “We will demand the extradition of the ousted dictator from India.” Earlier this month, Bangladesh said it would request a “red notice” alert from Interpol for fugitive leaders of Sheikh Hasina’s regime. Red notices issued by the global policing body alert law enforcement agencies around the world about fugitives. India is a member of Interpol, but the red notice does not mean that New Delhi will have to hand over Sheikh Hasina. According to the group that organizes police cooperation among the 196 member states, member states “can apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.”
How is India threatened?
With the increasing narcotics trade linked to Pakistan, the growing ties between Islamabad and Dhaka could become a matter of national security concern for India. Another security concern for New Delhi is the involvement of Pakistan’s spy agency ISI in activities destabilizing the region. Over the years, India has used its ties with Sheikh Hasina to monitor activities at the Chittagong port, where in 2004, about 1,500 boxes of Chinese ammunition were seized. The consignment, reportedly worth an estimated US$4.5-7 million, was allegedly masterminded by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This consignment was allegedly to be delivered to ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam), a terrorist organization banned in India. However, Yunus assured that Dhaka-Delhi relations should remain “very close” despite his country’s recent regime change, saying it was in the interest of both countries.
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What did Yunus say on India?
Yunus recently said, “Relations between the two countries should be very close. There can be no alternative to it. They need it, we need it. It is necessary from any point of view, be it economy, security or water.” Be about.” On the recent tensions in bilateral relations, that recent events in Bangladesh would have “demoralized” India and “they will not be happy with the changes.” He did not mention the incidents. He said, “It will be difficult for us to move forward without each other. It is natural that we have close ties and good relations in every field.”
changing equations
India has urged the interim Bangladesh government to ensure peaceful religious events for the Hindu community in the South Asian country. According to a UN report, more than 600 people, including Hindus, were killed during violent protests in Bangladesh that followed the ouster of the Hasina-led government. Yunus said, “Things will become clear to them when they see that the whole world is accepting us, how can they not accept us?” He said that as far as South Asian diplomacy is concerned, his interim government has given high importance to strengthening relations with India as well as strengthening SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).
