Bangladesh relaxes its visa requirements for citizens of Pakistan

Following the overthrow of pro-Indian Prime Minister Hasina Wajid, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’s interim government in Bangladesh has been aggressively working to improve relations with Pakistan.

The government of Bangladesh has made it easier for Pakistani people to travel between the two nations by eliminating the need for them to seek security clearance.

Orders have been issued by Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Security Services Division (SSD) to expedite the visa application process for citizens of Pakistan.

Additionally, the foreign ministry directed all overseas missions to streamline the visa application procedure for Pakistani nationals.

This action is considered a breakthrough in bilateral ties after Syed Ahmed Maroof, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, visited former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and greeted her on behalf of President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

In contrast to the previous government, led by Hasina Wajid, which required Pakistani citizens to seek security clearance before obtaining a visa, the relaxation of visa requirements represents a substantial change.

Following the first time since 1971 that a Pakistani cargo ship docked at a Bangladeshi port, signaling the beginning of maritime trade between the two nations, the occurrence is also viewed as a boost to bilateral trade.

As the latest escalation in tense relations between the neighbors, Bangladesh summoned New Delhi’s ambassador on December 3, 2024, following an attack on one of its consulates in India. The move comes at a time when India-Bangladesh relations are at their lowest points in decades.

Sheikh Hasina, the former dictatorial leader of Bangladesh, was overthrown by a student-led rebellion in August and is currently living in India, causing strained relations.