A cargo vessel coming from Karachi reached Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port on Wednesday. Both sides’ authorities declared it the first-ever direct maritime link between the two countries.
A cargo vessel from Karachi arrived at Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port on Wednesday as Bangladesh cosies up with Pakistan after the fall of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year-long reign. Authorities from both sides hailed it as the first-ever direct maritime link between the two countries.
According to The Dhaka Tribune, it was carrying a wide range of merchandise with an estimated capacity of 2,300 TEUs. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Syed Ahmed Maroof, described the direct shipping between the two countries as “a major stride forward in increasing the bilateral trade and business relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh besides enhancing a more integrated trade network across the region.”
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He said the step “will accelerate the existing trade flows and promote new business opportunities” between the countries. Meanwhile, the Pakistani high commissioner also proposed launching direct transport between Pakistan and Bangladesh. “The system will help to take forward the eco-social relations of the two countries.”
Bangladesh cosies up with Pakistan. A Pakistani vessel’s arrival at a Bangladesh port indicates that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has assumed a regional approach. Following the collapse of the Hasina regime, Yunus had a series of discussions with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. These moves are in sharp contrast to Dhaka’s foreign policy toward the country responsible for heavy atrocities during the 1971 liberation war.
In September, the Bangladeshi chief adviser met Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. At that time, Yunus called for the revival of the South Asian Association of Regional Corporations (SAARC).
The Bangladeshi Nobel laureate said that SAARC could be an excellent starting point for strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries. On the other hand, the Pakistani premier said Bangladesh and Pakistan needed to open a “new page” towards the resumption of relations to increase cooperation in various sectors.
