THE meeting of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Chief Advisor of Interim Government of Bangladesh Prof. Muhammad Yunus in New York and the sentiments expressed by the two leaders represent aspirations of the people of the two countries, who want closer bilateral collaboration in various fields. They had a positive exchange of views on expansion of bilateral relations with Pakistan with PM Shehbaz emphasizing the need to capitalize on the immense goodwill and warmth among the people of the two countries by way of fostering relations through parliamentary exchanges, people-to-people contacts and interactions among sportspersons, academics, artists and students.
Pakistan and Bangladesh are like twins who have been separated by unfavourable circumstances but still immense potential exists to promote bilateral relations in various walks of life for the mutual good of the two countries. Leaving aside the debate about what happened before the 1971 tragedy, saner elements in both the countries have been urging to forget about the past and move on to building strong bonds of friendship and cooperation. Pakistan and Bangladesh are the second and the third largest countries and influential members of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) but unfortunately the potential of mutual collaboration could not be exploited because of lack of warmth in their relations, which has much to do with internal political dynamics. Pakistan not only recognized Bangladesh on the eve of an Islamic summit in Lahore but also extended an olive branch to Dhaka on numerous occasions. However, it is a reality that the cold-shouldered response given to these gestures during Awami League tenure in Bangladesh scuttled possibilities of a breakthrough as the party centred on anti-Pakistani rhetoric for the sake of domestic political gains. It was in this backdrop that analysts predicted a change for the better with the recent developments in Bangladesh where a student-led movement forced Sheikh Hasina to quit power after fifteen long years. In the wake of Hasina’s ousting from power, Pakistan expressed solidarity with the people of Bangladesh, saying that the “resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future.” Incidentally, the leader entrusted with the responsibility to oversee the interim set up in Bangladesh – Prof. Muhammad Yunus – enjoys immense respect in Pakistan for his economic vision and initiatives that brought a positive change in the life of the common man. As both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Advisor Prof. Yunus believe in service delivery, it is hoped that their mutual interaction and understanding can help the two countries to benefit from each other’s experiences in fields of their interest. Apart from the poverty alleviation model initiated by Prof. Yunus, which brought him to fame, Pakistan can learn from the experience of BD to promote domestic industry and exports. Visa restrictions, lack of direct flights and trade barriers are some of the issues hindering a meaningful upgradation of bilateral ties and hopefully the leadership of the two countries would take necessary steps to harmonize policies to achieve the desired results. There has been no high level bilateral visit for years and lack of frequent interaction is at the core of misunderstandings. It was in this backdrop that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an invitation to the BD chief executive to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his convenience, reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation and dialogue. We hope the relevant ministries and departments would prepare grounds for the visit so that it leads to tangible outcomes in the realm of trade, investment, education, science and technology, culture and people to people contacts. There are legitimate expectations of a forward movement on bilateral relations and regional cooperation in the presence of a pragmatic and forward-looking leadership in Bangladesh.
