New Delhi: The interim government of Bangladesh has removed the requirement for Pakistani citizens to obtain a security clearance before applying for a Bangladeshi visa. The new policy was announced in an official letter from the Security Services Division (SSD) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, dated 2 December.
Until now, Pakistani citizens had been required to obtain a ‘no objection’ clearance from the SSD before being granted a visa to enter Bangladesh, a policy implemented in 2019. The clearance requirement was part of broader security measures introduced amid political and diplomatic tensions. However, the latest announcement officially removes this condition.
This shift in policy came a day before Pakistan’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, Syed Ahmed Maroof, met with Khaleda Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in Dhaka. The meeting took place at Zia’s residence in the Gulshan area and is being closely watched as part of a broader realignment in Bangladeshi politics.
Zia, who served as Bangladesh’s prime minister for multiple terms, has long maintained a more favourable stance toward Pakistan, in contrast to the policies of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina. Zia’s political legacy is linked to that of her late husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, who sought to shift Bangladesh’s political direction towards a more Islamic identity. Rahman’s policies also included a rapprochement with Pakistan, and the BNP’s historical ties to Islamabad have been a point of contention in Bangladeshi politics.
“This signals not a shift but a balancing act by Bangladesh. Bangladeshi officials are persistently stating that they want a friendly relationship with India though India is not reciprocating that. They not only gave refuge to Hasina but politicians are using inflammatory remarks based on half-truth and disinformation on Bangladesh”, Mubashar Hasan, an expert on Bangladeshi politics and executive director of the Sydney Policy and Analysis Centre in Australia, told ThePrint.
He added: “So it seems by normalising relationships with India’s arch-rival Pakistan, Bangladesh’s administration is signalling that it is not going to see South Asian politics through [an] Indian prism anymore. Whether in the long run, Bangladesh can continue to afford that remains to be seen as the West—specifically the US—sees South Asia through [an] Indian prism and the US is a vital ally for Bangladesh. Having said that, India, too, must realise its neighbourhood policy is in shambles.”
Shifting Bangladesh-Pakistan ties
The development comes amid a wider thaw in bilateral relations. On 19 November, a Pakistani cargo ship docked at Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port for the first time since 1971, signalling a shift in economic and diplomatic ties.
Pakistani officials have long complained of bureaucratic hurdles and diplomatic friction in their dealings with Bangladesh, particularly under Hasina’s administration. In September, Maroof met with the interim government’s broadcasting and IT adviser, Nahid Islam. The two discussed the possibility of resolving longstanding tensions, particularly the sensitive issue of the 1971 Liberation War.
According to an official readout of the meeting, Maroof reiterated Pakistan’s desire to address the “question of 1971”, a reference to the brutal conflict in which Bangladesh fought for its independence from Pakistan. The war remains a point of deep division between the two countries, with Bangladesh seeking an apology from Pakistan for atrocities committed by the Pakistani military. Bangladesh has also pushed for international recognition of the 1971 genocide, which left millions dead.
Islam, in his response, had also acknowledged the deep political significance of the war in Bangladesh’s history but indicated a willingness to move forward with dialogue. “We want to resolve the issue of 1971 with Pakistan,” Islam said. “A democratic South Asia requires us to strengthen our relationship with each other.”
Soon after, on 11 September, the 76th death anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, was observed at the National Press Club in Dhaka, with speakers reflecting on Jinnah’s pivotal role in the creation of Pakistan. One speaker said that “without Jinnah, Pakistan would not have come into existence, and without Pakistan, Bangladesh itself would not have been born”, Dhaka Tribune reported.
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