As a surprising development in South Asia,  the dramatic political change in Bangladesh,  brought closeness to Dhaka  with a one-time rival Pakistan. After violent street demonstrations by students, on 5 August 2024, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh  Hasina, fled the country. Economist and Nobel Peace Winner Muhmmad Yunus came to power by leading the caretaker government of Bangladesh.  With the end of Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League government, who ruled for 15 years, the country’s political landscape and diplomacy have taken a new turn. Hasina was closely allied with India, where she remains in exile, and her removal has led to a cooling of this relationship.

Relations between Dhaka and Delhi have been frosty since Hasina's exit and India did not react to Bangladesh's demands to extradite her to face charges of crimes against humanity, money laundering and corruption. Hasina denies the accusations against her. During the reign of Sheikh Hasina, there were close relations between Bangladesh and India.  In 1971, after months of war, Bangladesh, backed by the Indian Army, gained independence from Pakistan. During the war, hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Bengalis were killed.  Both Bangladesh and Pakistan have gone through long civilian and military rules, selection of parliament members in the name of elections and dynasty rules. Similarly, both countries’ governments have been formed through elections but resemble a giant single-party rule, and the government functions without strong opposition. Political instability has always been at the top of the nations. Political instability started in Bangladesh after the boycotting of the 2014 general election by the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment) Act, 1996 (28 March) introduced a non-party Caretaker Government (CtG) system which, acting as an interim government, would give all possible aid and assistance to the Election Commission for holding the general election. In 2011, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led government abolished caretaker governments with the 15th constitutional amendment. However, following the High Court's verdict, several sections of the Fifteenth Amendment were scrapped on 17 December 2024, restoring the caretaker system.

Pakistan is also a multiparty democracy country, where several political parties compete for seats in the National and Provincial assemblies, but the Armed Forces have historically played an influential role in the country's politics. From the 1950s to 2000s, several coups were staged which overthrew democratic regimes. After the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf in 2008, a sharp line has been drawn between the "military establishment" and politics and Pakistan started to move closer to becoming a democracy after general elections in 2013, which could not be sustained for a long time. Imran Khan came to leadership in 2018 with the backing of the military, but was subsequently removed from power in 2022 after losing that support. On 11 April 2022, Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the country's Prime Minister and again on 3 March 2024, Shehbaz Sharif was re-elected for the second time as the country's 24th Prime Minister.

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At present, Bangladesh’s previously strained relationship with Pakistan, which had worsened over the past 15 years, has started to improve.  As a result of improvement in relations between the two countries, Dhaka is importing 50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan. Direct flights and military contacts have also been revived, visa procedures have been simplified, and there are reports of co-operation on security matters. Pakistan's more than 250 million population is a solid market for Bangladesh in the medium to long term. As a signal of improving relations between the two countries, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif twice. Additionally, Both Pakistani diplomats in Dhaka and Bangladeshi diplomats in Islamabad have been particularly active following the political transition. Cultural exchanges are getting better momentum as in December, renowned Pakistani qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan performed twice in Dhaka to a large number of  audiences.

Furthermore, the trade between the two counties has significantly improved. During the last two months of last year, two cargo ships carrying commodities arrived at Chittagong port – which were the first such arrivals since the 1971 war. Both nations are exploring ways to diversify trade into areas such as construction materials, food products, pharmaceuticals, and information technology, and Pakistan aims to increase annual trade with Bangladesh to more than four times the current level within a year. The apex trade bodies of both countries signed a memorandum of understanding in January this year to establish a joint business council.

Since 2018, direct flights connecting the two countries have not been operational. For many years, It was very difficult for Pakistani nationals to travel to Bangladesh because of challenges in obtaining Bangladeshi visas. There were strict security clearances from multiple state agencies in Bangladesh that made travel practically impossible for Pakistsnis. However, Bangladesh’s interim government has lifted these restrictions, while Pakistan has responded by waiving visa fees and security clearance requirements for Bangladeshi travellers. Similarly, both the countries have realized the importance of medical tourism, which would offer a promising avenue. With Pakistan's advanced healthcare facilities and Bangladesh’s growing middle class seeking affordable medical treatments, the healthcare sector could become a pillar of bilateral engagement for nationals of both countries.

The debt taken by Pakistan before 1971, has also a share of Bangladesh and which should be addressed through mutual understanding. Another unresolved issue is to resolve the rights of  Urdu speaking people, who have been stranded in Bangladesh. Since Bangladesh granted them voting rights, Pakistan is now somewhat freed from this responsibility. And now Urdu-speaking people are less inclined to move to Pakistan. Although Bangladesh and Pakistan are trying to come out of their old animosities through different bilateral understanding and mutual respect in many problematic sectors, it is not as easy as expected because of the war of 1971, which cannot be healed overnight. It would take a long time to bring a change in mentality of people and  governments of both the countries. However, the start of good friendship and improving relationships between the two countries certainly portrays a bright picture for days to come. As the South Asia region is full of tensions, such a reconciliation would not only yield national dividends but also offer an example to how historical animosity can, over time, become pragmatic collaborators in search of mutual prosperity and global significance.