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Bangladesh’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus had earlier held meetings with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders, but not with PM Modi.
This shipment marked a possible change in Bangladesh’s relations with Pakistan under Muhammad Yunus. (Reuters)
Pakistan’s first direct cargo ship to Bangladesh since 1971 independence arrived at the southeastern Chittagong port last week, signaling a change in foreign relations under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
“As per my knowledge, this was the first cargo ship that came directly from Karachi, mainly carrying raw materials for our textile and ceramic industries,” said a Chittagong Port Authority official.
However, he said the ship had started its journey from the UAE, was destined for Indonesia and had stopped at Karachi to load cargo for Bangladesh. Goods had also come from Dubai in some containers.
In 1971, there was a war between West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). This war resulted in the creation of an independent state known as Bangladesh.
Officials said the ship, ‘MV Yuan Jian Fa Zhong’, arrived at Chittagong port on November 13 and departed soon after offloading cargo from Pakistan. Earlier, goods from Pakistan were sent through feeder ships from third countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore or Malaysia.
Transporting cargo directly from Pakistan reduces the cost of goods and speeds up the shipment process, said a commerce ministry official familiar with the process.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Syed Ahmed Maroof described the visit as a step towards greater integration and promoting trade networks across the region. Professor Imtiaz Ahmed, a leading foreign relations expert, said that from an economic perspective, “It is surprising to me why this happened.” So far, no direct shipment has come from Pakistan as both the countries are engaged in trade relations despite strained political relations.
But, he said, as far as regional and geopolitical politics are concerned, “you should not do anything that might upset other major countries like India,” a reference to Yunus’s comments that he would like to join the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Wanted to revive (SAARC).”
“In diplomacy, we need inclusion rather than alienating anyone… If India wants, SAARC will revive, if it does not want, it will remain inactive as of now and if you exclude India, a new regional alliance will be formed. “You also have to consider whether other countries would want to give up a giant elephant,” Ahmed said.
On India-Bangladesh relations after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina regime, the analyst said, “I think what is going on right now is a temporary phenomenon and ultimately Dhaka-Delhi relations should be on the right track for mutual benefit.”
During the recent UN General Assembly in New York, Yunus held meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other regional leaders, but the expected meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not take place.
Yunus, who took over as chief adviser to the interim government on August 8, three days after the student-led mass uprising ousted then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said on Sunday that Dhaka would send him back from India to face trial. Will demand to bring. ,
“It’s very clear that the interim government, because of its concerns about its partnership with India, will want to take a slightly different approach to Pakistan,” Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, said in a recent media interview. ” ,
Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was reluctant to strengthen ties with Pakistan due to the lack of a full apology for the 1971 war. His daughter Hasina had rejected Pakistan’s request to berth the Chinese-made frigate warship PNS Taimur at Chittagong port in 2022.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI,
- Place :
Dhaka, Bangladesh