In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, Pakistan and Bangladesh have decided to grant visa-free access to each other's diplomats and officials. The news followed Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury's talks in Dhaka at the level of the top officials. Though there is no implementation date announced as yet, India has taken strong exception to the step, particularly in the context of rising ISI activity and greater security threats along its northeastern and eastern borders.
As per a statement from Islamabad, the two nations agreed on a "principled understanding" to allow visa-free travel for officials and diplomatic passport holders. The agreement is being hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough, especially as relations between the two nations had not developed under Sheikh Hasina's leadership.
The two sides also negotiated increasing cooperation in counterterrorism, drug control, people trafficking, and internal security. They committed themselves to setting up a joint committee to oversee and execute their new projects.
India responded with anxiety following the announcement of the deal a report by the Economic Times said Indian security agencies worry about enhanced movement of Pakistani ISI officials into Bangladesh. Officials say it has the potential to embolden anti-India Islamist forces and destabilize border areas.
Sources say the development will allow Pakistan to extend its intelligence presence nearer to Indian territory under cover of diplomacy, making it harder to monitor and complicating regional security dynamics.
The agreement also entails increased collaboration in police training and sharing of technology, Bangladesh will send a delegation to Pakistan's National Police Academy in Islamabad. A high-level Bangladeshi team will also visit Pakistan shortly to monitor the Safe City Project.
Pakistan has established a joint coordination committee headed by Interior Secretary Khurram Agha to ensure the execution of these plans. Naqvi was also accorded a ceremonial guard of honor, while Chowdhury stressed the visit's significance for enhancing bilateral relationships.
Ever since the caretaker government took over in Dhaka, Pakistan-Bangladesh ties have improved substantially. Military interactions have picked up, and trade between the two countries has shown a remarkable surge. This new visa-free entry agreement further solidifies this diplomatic thaw, but it has strategic implications India can ill afford to ignore.
