New Delhi: A huge shift is apparently taking place between our close neighbours that is raising some hackles in India. Ties — essentially trade and maritime — are seemingly getting stronger between Pakistan and Bangladesh, as a second cargo vessel from Karachi landed at the Chittagong port this week. The Panama-flagged ship, ‘MV Yuan Xiang Fa Zhan,’ entered Bangladeshi waters on Sunday afternoon, Bangladeshi media reported.
The vessel, which travelled from Karachi, Pakistan, and Dubai, is carrying a huge cargo of 811 containers containing essential industrial materials such as soda ash, dolomite, and marble blocks, as well as goods, including garment raw materials, sugar, and electronic products, according to reports in Dhaka Tribune and Daily Observer.
The news came a day after Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Egypt’s Cairo, where Dhaka and Islamabad agreed to boost ties.
Why it’s a worry for India
The Economic Times, citing sources, reported that traders in Bangladesh are being compelled to import goods from Pakistan. Not just this, some officials in Bangladesh’s shipping ministry have suggested to review the India-Bangladesh shipping agreement, which grants India access to the Chittagong and Mongla ports.
Chittagong Port has a strategic location in the Bay of Bengal. India has utilised its ties with ousted premier Sheikh Hasina to keep a tab on activities at Chittagong Port, where, in 2004, around 1,500 boxes of Chinese ammunition were seized.
The consignment, valued at an estimated $4.5-7 million, was reportedly orchestrated by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). It was allegedly meant for delivery to the banned terrorist group ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) in India.
New Delhi is concerned that a resurgence of Islamist extremism in Bangladesh could pose a threat to India. Besides, Bangladesh removed a key clause in September that previously mandated physical inspections of cargo from Pakistan upon arrival at ports. This change enables Pakistani vessels to navigate maritime routes without undergoing cargo inspections, intensifying concerns in India.
Under Hasina’s restrictive trade policy, cargo from Pakistan had to be offloaded in Malaysia, Singapore, or Sri Lanka before being transferred to other vessels bound for Bangladesh. Indian officials closely kept a vigil on the sea routes leading to Chittagong.
Yunus has been overturning Hasina’s policies since he took over the reins in August. He started direct maritime connectivity between Pakistan and Bangladesh. In November, the Chinese cargo ship ‘MV Yuan Xian Fa Zhong’ from Karachi arrived in Chittagong. It was the first direct maritime contact between Bangladesh and Pakistan since 1971 when Bangladesh was formed. Since August, Yunus has met the Pakistani Prime Minister twice. Both leaders have shown his keenness to build bridges and resolve longstanding issues.
