Pakistanis now not want safety clearance for Bangladesh visa as bilateral thaw progresses

Unused Delhi: The intervening time executive of Bangladesh has got rid of the requirement for Pakistani voters to procure a safety clearance ahead of making use of for a Bangladeshi visa. The untouched coverage was once introduced in an reputable letter from the Safety Services and products Category (SSD) of the Ministry of House Affairs, dated 2 December.

Till now, Pakistani voters have been required to procure a ‘no objection’ clearance from the SSD ahead of being granted a visa to go into Bangladesh, a coverage carried out in 2019. The clearance requirement was once a part of broader safety features offered amid political and diplomatic tensions. On the other hand, the unedited announcement formally gets rid of this status. 

Zia, who served as Bangladesh’s high minister for more than one phrases, has lengthy maintained a extra beneficial stance towards Pakistan, against this to the insurance policies of the Awami League executive led via Sheikh Hasina. Zia’s political legacy is connected to that of her overdue husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, who wished to shift Bangladesh’s political route against a extra Islamic identification. Rahman’s insurance policies additionally integrated a rapprochement with Pakistan, and the BNP’s historic ties to Islamabad were some extent of competition in Bangladeshi politics.

“This signals not a shift but a balancing act by Bangladesh. Bangladeshi officials are persistently stating that they want a friendly relationship with India though India is not reciprocating that. They not only gave refuge to Hasina but politicians are using inflammatory remarks based on half-truth and disinformation on Bangladesh”, Mubashar Hasan, a professional on Bangladeshi politics and government director of the Sydney Coverage and Research Centre in Australia, instructed ThePrint. 

He added: “So it seems by normalising relationships with India’s arch-rival Pakistan, Bangladesh’s administration is signalling that it is not going to see South Asian politics through [an] Indian prism anymore. Whether in the long run, Bangladesh can continue to afford that remains to be seen as the West—specifically the US—sees South Asia through [an] Indian prism and the US is a vital ally for Bangladesh. Having said that, India, too, must realise its neighbourhood policy is in shambles.”

Transferring Bangladesh-Pakistan ties

The improvement comes amid a much broader thaw in bilateral members of the family. On 19 November, a Pakistani shipment send docked at Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port for the primary hour since 1971, signalling a shift in financial and diplomatic ties. 

Pakistani officers have lengthy complained of bureaucratic hurdles and diplomatic friction of their dealings with Bangladesh, specifically beneath Hasina’s management. In September, Maroof met with the intervening time executive’s broadcasting and IT helper, Nahid Islam. The 2 mentioned the potential for resolving longstanding tensions, specifically the delicate factor of the 1971 Liberation Warfare.

In keeping with an reputable readout of the assembly, Maroof reiterated Pakistan’s need to handle the “question of 1971”, a connection with the brutal struggle during which Bangladesh fought for its liberty from Pakistan. The struggle extra some extent of deep section between the 2 international locations, with Bangladesh in quest of an apology from Pakistan for atrocities dedicated via the Pakistani army. Bangladesh has additionally driven for world popularity of the 1971 genocide, which left thousands and thousands lifeless.

Islam, in his reaction, had additionally stated the deep political importance of the struggle in Bangladesh’s historical past however indicated a willingness to go ahead with discussion. “We want to resolve the issue of 1971 with Pakistan,” Islam mentioned. “A democratic South Asia requires us to strengthen our relationship with each other.”

Quickly next, on 11 September, the 76th dying per annum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the launch father of Pakistan, was once noticed on the Nationwide Press Membership in Dhaka, with audio system reflecting on Jinnah’s pivotal function within the establishing of Pakistan. One speaker mentioned that “without Jinnah, Pakistan would not have come into existence, and without Pakistan, Bangladesh itself would not have been born”,  Dhaka Tribune reported.

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