In what is seen as a shift in the South Asian geopolitical landscape, Bangladesh and Pakistan have officially resumed direct air links after a 14-year hiatus, marking a major thaw in decades of frosty and generally violent adversarial relations.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane is seen after landing at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on January 30, 2026. Direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed after more than a decade, as the two countries have long had uneasy relations. (Asif Hasan/AFP Photo)D Passenger flights resume It coincides with high-level talks regarding a potential multi-million defense contract.
It must be noted that the rapprochement between Dhaka and Islamabad quickly deteriorated Government led by Sheikh HasinaAfter student-led protests in August 2024, it was deemed pro-India. Hasina, sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court, is in exile in India while an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus bans her party and prepares for elections next month.
‘Water Salute’ in KarachiThe Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dhaka touched down at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Thursday, where it was greeted with a traditional water salute.
The landing ended a hiatus of direct activity that had continued since 2012.
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The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) hailed the event as the beginning of “a new chapter in Pakistan-Bangladesh friendship”.
Bangladesh’s national carrier will operate non-stop flights twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays.
The flight from Dhaka is scheduled to depart at 8pm local time, arriving in Karachi at 11pm. The return flight leaves Karachi at midnight and reaches Dhaka at 4:20 am.
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Initially, these operations are running under a temporary license valid until March 30, a trial period intended to determine long-term viability.
Fighter jet deal: JF-17 for Bangladesh?More closely, Pakistan officially offered their JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to Bangladesha multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by China and Pakistan.
Discussions regarding this potential purchase were recently held in Islamabad between Pakistani Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and his Bangladeshi counterpart Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmud Khan.
According to the military statement, Islamabad has assured a comprehensive training and support ecosystem as well as fast-track delivery of Super Mushhak trainer aircraft.
This strategic pivot comes at a time when Pakistan expanding its defense exports, Recently finalized a $4 billion contract with the Libyan National Army and is engaged in negotiations with Azerbaijan.
What does this mean for India?The warming between the two countries, which were once East and West Pakistan with India in the middle, makes sense for New Delhi.
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The interim government of Muhammad Yunus actively sought to diversify its foreign policy and rebuild relations with Islamabad. The first major sign of this change occurred in August 2024, when Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Dhaka, marking the first high-level engagement between the two countries in more than 10 years.
India’s relations with Pakistan and Bangladesh remain frosty, even as they come closer. A point of contention remains the flight path of the new Dhaka-Karachi route. The shortest route between the two cities is through central Indian airspace. According to reports, it is not yet clear whether Biman Bangladesh Airlines has received the necessary overflight permission from New Delhi. For now, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has approved the use of designated air corridors within Pakistan’s airspace for Bangladeshi airlines.
Furthermore, private Pakistani airlines including Fly Jinnah and AirCial have also received approval from Bangladeshi authorities to operate direct flights, suggesting that the connectivity boom has only just begun.
For Pakistan, the potential sale of the JF-17 is an opportunity to prove the jet’s capabilities, which Islamabad has claimed It has been demonstrated during past conflicts including when India conducted Operation Sindoor In May last year against Pakistan-based terrorist organizations.
