Islamabad. Pakistan had signed a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia. According to this agreement, an attack on one country will be considered an attack on another country. Now Pakistan wants to make another similar agreement with Bangladesh. This agreement will be a historic turning point in the relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Both the countries are working on a mutual defense agreement, which is being considered a major development in the security politics of South Asia. To give impetus to this proposed agreement, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a high-level joint mechanism, whose primary function is to decide the terms of the agreement and prepare a final draft. It is being told that the current military leadership of Bangladesh is showing special interest in increasing strategic and defense cooperation with Pakistan. If we look at the developments of the last few months, several rounds of talks have been held between senior officers of the Army, Air Force and Navy of the two countries. These meetings have also resulted in the signing of several MoUs related to training, capacity building and military exchanges, which are considered to be the foundation of a future comprehensive defense agreement.
Experts believe that after the removal of Sheikh Hasina-led government from power in Bangladesh, there has been a huge change in the political and diplomatic equations there. Relations which had gone into abeyance during the previous government are now being reactivated on the defense and security cooperation front. However, diplomatic sources also say that progress on this joint defense agreement is continuing, but its final draft and formal approval can wait till the upcoming general elections of Bangladesh, so that the incoming new government can provide it constitutional validity. This defense diplomacy of Pakistan is not limited to Bangladesh only. According to sources, about eight other countries are also showing interest in similar strategic and mutual defense agreements with Pakistan. This is considered to be part of Islamabad’s larger strategy under which it wants to redefine and strengthen its role in regional security cooperation. This growing military coordination between Pakistan and Bangladesh may certainly pose a new strategic challenge to other countries in South Asia, especially India, as it has the potential to create a major imbalance in the traditional security order of the region.
