Bangladesh is preparing to resume direct air links with Pakistan as Biman Bangladesh Airlines plans to launch three weekly flights to Karachi. The confirmation came from Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan while speaking to The News at the Foreign Services Academy in Islamabad.
He said the new route will operate via Indian airspace just as Indian carriers routinely transit through Bangladesh. However sources note that India’s continued airspace restrictions on Pakistani aircraft mean there is still no prospect of Pakistani airlines flying to Dhaka anytime soon.
The high commissioner delivered a detailed lecture to young diplomats at the academy’s new envoy led lecture series where he highlighted the immense but untapped potential of South Asian trade and connectivity. He said the region’s economic growth remains blocked by limited access border restrictions and political tensions.
Khan emphasized that Pakistan and Bangladesh could dramatically expand bilateral trade if direct access routes were restored. He pointed out that railway connections once linked the two countries but today even Pakistan’s date exports reach Bangladesh and the region indirectly through Dubai. Direct routes he argued would increase profits and benefit farmers.
He added that South Asia’s biggest obstacle is weak geographical connectivity despite ancient trade routes that once linked Kabul Peshawar Dhaka and Myanmar. No country he said can progress in isolation and regional cooperation is essential.
Referring to regional blocs like BIMSTEC he said border constraints and the behaviour of major powers often undermine trust. He also noted that many countries facing internal pressures create external distractions trends that have roots in colonial mindsets and political dominance.
Khan stressed that South Asian societies share deep cultural and civilizational bonds shaped by centuries of trade and historical interactions from Arab merchants to the British era. He said Bangladesh’s maritime history has long supported openness and exchange.
He described South Asia’s youth as more aware ambitious and ready for change. Political shifts in Bangladesh in 2024 he said have renewed optimism. With emerging young leadership he believes economic opportunities will expand old barriers will fall and democratic processes will strengthen.
Concluding his remarks the high commissioner expressed hope that South Asian nations can enter a new era of trade connectivity and shared development but only if they choose cooperation over confrontation.
