Bangladesh-Pakistan Talks Revive Ties, But ISI Shadows Loom Large Over Dhaka Reset

Dhaka, Bangladesh – The sixth round of Foreign Secretary Level Bilateral Consultations (FSLC) between Bangladesh and Pakistan held in Dhaka has raised eyebrows in South Asia’s strategic circles, not for what was discussed—but for what remains dangerously unaddressed. While both delegations paraded the usual optimism over trade, connectivity, and cultural exchanges, the foundations of trust remain conspicuously absent, with Pakistan yet to offer even a symbolic apology for the 1971 genocide or take concrete steps on repatriating stranded Biharis.

The timing of this warmth is curious. Pakistan’s civilian government is reeling under economic pressure, its military strained by multiple insurgencies, and its regional influence waning. In such a context, the renewed push to woo Dhaka appears less a diplomatic breakthrough and more a calculated manoeuvre. Intelligence insiders quietly point to a likely role of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in nudging Islamabad’s outreach—aiming to regain influence in Dhaka's corridors after being marginalised post-2009.

Symbolism Over Substance As Dhaka Walks A Tightrope

While Bangladesh’s foreign ministry touted the FSLC as “cordial” and “forward-looking,” it failed to extract any tangible commitment to Islamabad’s historical culpability. Ambassador Md. Jashim Uddin did raise long-pending issues—from the Pak Army’s 1971 atrocities to the division of pre-independence assets, but Pakistan’s response was formulaic silence. No public apology. No roadmap for resolution. No restitution.

Such omissions are not clerical; they are strategic. By engaging Bangladesh on trade and connectivity without offering any remorse or reparation, Pakistan seeks to rewrite the terms of engagement—burying its wartime record under rice deals and trade figures. Dhaka’s willingness to continue consultations under these unresolved conditions risks sending a message that economic bait can overwrite historical truth.

Warming Ties Risk Becoming A Diplomatic Conduit

This evolving engagement also comes against the backdrop of a rising footprint of Pakistan-linked influence networks in Dhaka, including civil society outfits and suspected academic channels. Veteran intelligence officials warn that increased cultural and academic exchange—on paper a benign prospect—may become vehicles for ISI’s soft-penetration strategy, as witnessed in the early 2000s.

What compounds this threat is Islamabad’s concurrent engagement with Bangladesh in multilateral organisations like OIC and SAARC, where Pakistan seeks to gather diplomatic capital to counterbalance India. Within this recalibrated outreach, Bangladesh is viewed not as a strategic partner, but as a geopolitical pawn—one that can be placated with access to Karachi port, trade relaxations, and flowery diplomatic statements.

Dhaka’s focus on boosting bilateral trade to $1 billion annually, reviving direct shipping routes, and facilitating G2G rice trade with Pakistan, while economically sound in isolation, lacks strategic prudence if not tied to political accountability. Islamabad’s trade imbalance remains wide, with little movement from its side in easing market access for Bangladeshi goods. Pakistani industries, meanwhile, eye Bangladesh’s Special Economic Zones for textile outsourcing—highlighting a one-way economic vision that prioritizes Pakistani gain over mutual growth.

Moreover, Dhaka’s recent enthusiasm over cultural and educational exchanges, while noble, ignores the history of academic radicalisation and madrassa diplomacy once funded by Pakistan-backed networks. Without regulatory safeguards and intelligence vetting, such channels could be exploited to reignite dormant ideological agendas that Bangladesh has spent a decade defusing.

Strategic Scepticism Warranted As Pakistan’s Civilian-military Elite Eyes New Leverage Over Dhaka

As Ambassador Amna Baloch extended an invitation for the next FSLC round in Islamabad, it’s worth asking—what has Dhaka really gained so far, except photo-ops and polite evasions? No apology. No asset resolution. No repatriation progress. No reduction in trade barriers. In contrast, Islamabad has already scored strategic optics by showcasing bilateral dialogue with a former adversary, projecting regional relevance at a time when its credibility is collapsing in Balochistan, Gilgit, and even among traditional Gulf allies.

The broader worry is clear: Pakistan wants a low-cost reset with Bangladesh that gives it strategic access without strategic accountability. And unless Dhaka recalibrates its engagement with red lines, this renewed bonhomie may turn into a geopolitical vulnerability.

Watch - Bangladesh Seeks Public Apology From Pak Over 1971 Atrocities, Demand $4.3 Million In Reparations