New Delhi: A Pakistan Navy ship arrived at Bangladesh’s Chattogram (Chittagong) Port last Friday on a four-day “goodwill” visit, the first such occurrence since 1971, amid a dramatic turnaround in bilateral ties after nearly two decades of hostility.
Analysts said the development signalled Pakistan’s attempt to establish its presence in the Bay of Bengal and that this had security implications for eastern India and Myanmar.
“Upon arrival, the ship was warmly received on behalf of Commander Chattogram Naval Area,” the Bangladesh Navy said in a statement. “This goodwill visit is expected to further strengthen the friendly relations between Bangladesh Navy and Pakistan Navy.”
Such engagements were not frequent even during pro-Pakistan regimes in Dhaka after Sheikh Mujib’s assassination or during BNP rules, analysts said. Pakistan has stepped up military engagements with Bangladesh, although its efforts to expand business linkages with the country did not yield significant results.