Cover Story
The Way Forward
As far as political relations with Pakistan go, there is a long and distraught history of violence that Bangladesh has suffered and is in no rush to forget.
The student protests, which stretched to a month-long ‘Quota Reform Movement,’ cemented the successful removal of Sheikh Hasina, who, quite literally, fled the scene. Subsequently, an interim government under Dr. Muhammad Yunus, an economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, labeled as the ‘Yunus Ministry,’ came to govern the state of Bangladesh. Since August 2024, its core aim remains to uphold the essence of human dignity.
Although Hasina expressed an interest in patching up the bilateral relations with Pakistan during Imran Khan’s rule, no real effort was made, following a similar pattern of ignorance during her rule. The Yunus ministry may have created a new hope; however, it seems they are in no rush. In October, approximately a couple of months after the new interim government had been formed, the Bangladeshi Foreign Adviser, Md. Touhid Hossain claimed that Pakistan would not only have to apologize but also stand accountable for the tragedy that ensued during the war of 1971 to normalize political relations with the new ministry. This sentiment was reverberated when Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif met during the D8 summit in Egypt. Muhammad Yunus insisted Sharif resolve the unsolved issues of 1971, and while the ‘Shimla Agreement’ has been underway, Sharif is also said to have ensured Yunus that he would be willing to amend any other outlying issues.
Much to the amazement of a South Asian, the interesting trajectory of the severe slit of the three nations remains before the subcontinent. A truth most post-colonials know is when a country tears, it does not rip even. Such was the case with India and Pakistan, and such is the reality of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Many have noted the cause of Pakistan’s delayed economic progression, in comparison to India, to be due to the unequal distribution of resources, the unfair carving of the nation, the early death of Jinnah, the Islamophobic nature of the Western world, the eminent hold of the establishment, or the amalgamation of it all. So, what is the excuse when it comes to Bangladesh? It is much smaller, has suffered an equally worse annexation twice, and has suffered a similar pattern of disguised monarchic governance. Resilient, it has successfully dissolved its cabinet and formed a new government while surpassing Pakistan in every measure of a progressing nation.
In 2023, Bangladesh’s annual GDP was $451,534M, and its GDP per capita was $2,666. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s GDP was $337,457M and per capita was $1,458M. Bangladesh’s expenditure on education was twice as much as Pakistan’s—while we spent $5,878.9M on a population of 250M, they spent $9,261M on a population of 173M. Similarly, the government’s health expenditure was double that of Pakistan’s, while defense spending was significantly cut short. Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch rated Bangladesh between a B2, B+, and BB- credit rating, while the same rated Pakistan as Caa2, CCC+, and CCC-. Strangely, the country that had fewer resources, fewer people, significantly less area, monarchic governance, and was brutally marginalized for its linguistics and ethnicity in the global South has thrived after its secession. These are not overnight outcomes credited to Yunus, but rather a consistent effort of the Bangladeshi people’s sincerity to their nation despite suffering political instability.
It may be Pakistan’s time to bend and amend this fractured relationship.
Therefore, as far as political relations with Pakistan go, there is a long and distraught history of violence that Bangladesh has suffered and is in no rush to forget. It may be Pakistan’s time to bend and amend this fractured relationship, and the country needs to have an open ear and learn from the nation it disparaged. This is the chance to directly communicate political tensions without the equation of India, which has previously and continuously created tensions.
Pakistan must realize that, unlike its decision-makers, who are commanded by material means, Bangladesh’s standing before us is not governed by greed. It is a youth-reformed governance structure that has promised to elevate its people and hold its country’s interests before the weight of its pockets. Even though Moonis Ahmar, an International Relations professor, claims that “if [the Yunus regime] wants to establish itself as legitimate, it has to come to power by holding a referendum or fresh elections,” Pakistan must realize its position and a significant lesson to not only fix bilateral nations but its own economy, that of, that progress demands consistent sincerity to major institutions.
For now, what Pakistan needs to do is erase the age-old disdain and the narrative of derogation since the Pakistani remembrance carries no weight for Bangladesh, and it is only their memory of 1971 that matters in the future of our political alignment. Today, if Bangladesh decides to sit at the table, we may only have the chance to listen since they have surpassed us in all that we may have to offer, from internal to external progression.
The writer holds an undergraduate degree in Literary Studies from Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School and an MPhil in South Asian Studies from the University of Cambridge. She can be reached at fathimahsheikh@gmail.com
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Absolutely brilliant.
What a great insight to a parallel nation. More writing like this please