Bilateral relationships between nations are apt to be increasingly bound by commerce, ties which are far more pragmatic and lasting rather than those based on ideological symmetry. What brings nations together are common interests, starting with religion, culture language etc but the glue that binds them together must be economic. Every nation ultimately falls back on its own national interests but it is trade that gives an opportunity to “give and take”.
To build our relations realistically we must readjust our “demands” to fit the other’s “supply” potential." Unquote To quote from my 2002 article "Two Countries One Nation", Pakistan and Bangladesh must have free trade without any tariffs. Pakistan can export to Bangladesh raw cotton, cotton textiles, fertilizers, Basmati rice, irrigation pumps, railway wagons, ocean-going vessels, sugar mills, cement plants, fruits etc and a whole range of consumer items. Bangladesh can export to Pakistan, raw jute, jute goods, tea, jute machinery spares, jute batching oil, fruit, etc. Exporting to each other will take the pressure of exporting to other countries, as demand will exceed supplies, moreover the masses will benefit from having competitive prices. Direct free trade is the future of these two countries" Unquote.
One of my closest friends, Maj Abdul Mannan, is a tremendous entrepreneur. His ventures in garments include factories not only in Bangladesh but far away locations like Cambodia, Madagascar, etc (I was privileged visiting his factory in Phnom Penh). He has always given preference to buying textiles from Pakistan. For many years in the past Bangladeshi military officials were trained in Pakistan. While one believes this was revived by Shaikh Hasina despite strong Indian objections for the last few years there was a near complete absence of people-to-people contact. For progress in relations between the two countries, drastic measures include the Visa system being abolished and all mutual tariff barriers removed, allowing free movement as was done pre-1971.
To quote my article of March 26, 1990, "The AESSA Concept, "The term Bangladesh literally means land of the Bengalis, Muslims and Hindus included.
Given the major ports of Calcutta, Chalna and Chittagong, this area by itself can exist as an effervescent economic region without facing chronic shortages of food and other necessities. India is aware of an important geo-political home truth, BD’s pivotal economic location is extraordinary.
However, looking at historical and ethnic realities existing in the area, one finds that there exist many nation-states, West Bengal, Bangladesh, Gorkhaland, Sikkim, Bhutan, Meghalaya, Bodoland, Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, Tripura, etc, all fiercely independent in their outlook. Even the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal would cease to be endlessly land-locked by India (geographically and economically). More than anything else, India’s undue interference has contributed to increasing the poverty and sufferings of the Bangladeshi people. A possible “Association of Eastern States of South Asia”, (the AESSA concept) is comprising economic (if not political) confederation of almost 500 (???) million people.
Instead of being ruled by remote control from New Delhi, these are effective geographical and economic units that can have a form of a Common Market without anybody’s hegemony, Bangladesh will be the dominant economic and sovereign entity in this region." Unquote.
In July Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call to his counterpart in Dhaka Shaikh Hasina made a welcome new beginning. In the follow-up by Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Dhaka, who by all reports is held in great esteem (coincidentally so is the present High Commissioner for Bangladesh in Pakistan), called on the Bangladesh Prime Minister. The "meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, with both sides agreeing to further strengthen the existing fraternal relations". Incidentally extraordinary diplomats give arise to extraordinary opportunity to solidify mutual relations.
BD has started to develop strained relation with India over the new citizenship laws, Indian PM Modi has declared almost 2 million Muslim Bengalis living in Assam, etc as "aliens" and threatened their deportation into Bangladesh. The sharpening Indo-Chinese problems could be another reason with BD preferring to be part of Chinese BRI investments rather than standing alone in the fight with India for water. While BD’s relation with India is BD’s prerogative, and Pakistan should not get involved in any manner whatsoever, similarly Pakistan-BD relationship cannot remain hostage to India’s whims and caprices to foster their ambitions of regional Hindu hegemony.
The post-Covid world has devastated our economies, we need to find out-of- the box solutions for recovery. With the global and the regional power balances changing, new options for openings are available for both Pakistan and BD to use all the opportunities arising. Re-forging a diplomatic and economic alliance between our two countries could be a priority
Concluded
