New Delhi: A little over three months since a mass uprising in Bangladesh that saw Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina being ousted from power, a cargo ship from Pakistan docked at the Chittagong port in India’s eastern neighbour earlier this week. This is the first time that there has been a maritime connection between Bangladesh and Pakistan since the Liberation War of 1971.
“The first direct cargo vessel from Karachi #Pakistan has arrived in Chittagong #Bangladesh, marking a major step in bilateral trade. This new route will streamline supply chains, reduce transit time and open new business opportunities for both countries,” the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka posted on its X handle following the docking of the ship.
According to a report in the Daily Star news portal of Bangladesh late Saturday evening, the vessel discharged 370 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of import-laden containers at Chittagong, of which 297 TEUS came from Pakistan and the remaining 73 TEUS from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Most of the cargo that arrived from Karachi contained industrial raw material, including 115 containers of soda ash, 46 containers of dolomite, 35 containers of limestone, 24 containers of chemical, 42 containers of onions, 13 containers of fabrics and 14 containers of potatoes were among the goods imported,” the report stated. “Among the total 73 TEUs that came from UAE, 13 TEUs of containers were carrying rough marble blocks that are used as building construction materials. Other cargo from UAE port included gypsum plaster, copper wire, motor parts and food items like raisins, dry plums, fresh dates, and different varieties of fruit juice.”
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Md Omar Faruk was quoted as saying that it was not a direct shipping service between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The vessel with the Chinese name Yuan Xiang Fa Zhan is sailing under a Panama flag.
When ETV Bharat checked the status of the vessel at the time of filing of this report, it was sailing towards Belawan, Sumatra, in Indonesia after leaving Chittagong. The ship’s voyage might have originated from the UAE, its name might be Chinese and it might be sailing under a Panama flag, why the docking at a port in Bangladesh raises interest because the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka commented on it.
Since the separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971 following a brutal war of independence, bilateral ties have been marked by both efforts to normalise relations and enduring challenges stemming from historical grievances. Political relations have been uneven, influenced by the leadership in both countries. Governments in Bangladesh led by the Awami League of Sheikh Hasina, which has strong ties to the liberation struggle, often adopt a stricter stance toward Pakistan. In contrast, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) governments have generally pursued closer ties with Pakistan.
Regional alignments, particularly Bangladesh’s increasing ties with India and China, also affect its relations with Pakistan. It is in this context that the arrival of a cargo ship from Pakistan in Bangladesh for the first time since 1971 has sparked speculations. It comes after an interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed power on August 8 after Hasina fled from the country.
“It seems that Islamist elements in the Yunus government are dominating,” Anand Kumar, Associate Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses and an expert on South Asia, told ETV Bharat. “They seem to be taking Bangladesh towards Pakistan. This is a surprise for the India-Bangladesh relationship.”
According to Bangladeshi academic and political observer Sharin Shajahan Naomi, the arrival of the ship from Pakistan caused a lot of tension in her country.
“Initially, there was no confirmation from the government as to what cargo the ship was carrying,” Naomi told ETV Bharat over the phone from Dhaka. “There should be clarifications from the government about ships coming from other countries.”
She further said that there is a tense co-existence between the liberal and Islamist elements in the interim government under Yunus.
“Some people were against the previous regime (of Hasina) but they remain secular,” Naomi said. “They are even now confident that they will win the voters’ trust at the end.”
Dhaka-based journalist Saifur Rahman Tapan said that Bangladesh allowing a ship sailing from Pakistan at one of its ports reflects the political position of the interim government.
“Our politics since the Liberation War has been very polarised,” Tapan said. “You are either with people, who support the Liberation War spirit, or are with those against it.”
He further explained that the Hasina’s Awami League, under her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, “owned” the Liberation War by defeating Pakistan. So, there are secular parties that don’t like it.
“In the Liberation War, we got enormous help from India,” Tapan said. “The Awami League always recognised that. But the other parties are opposed to recognising India’s support.” However, Tapan said that the common people in Bangladesh don’t subscribe to this idea. “They are for peaceful co-existence with India,” he said.
Though the Chittagong Port Authority report suggests that the goods brought in by the Yuan Xiang Fa Zhan vessel sailing under a Panama flag have brought seemingly harmless goods, what sparks tension is that Bangladesh, under the new interim government, seeking huge arms imports from Pakistan.
According to reports, Bangladesh has ordered 40,000 rounds of ammunition, 2,000 units of tank ammunition, 40 tonnes of RDX explosives, and 2,900 high-intensity projectiles from Pakistan’s Ordinance Factories (POF). This is a notable escalation from the previous year’s order, which included 12,000 rounds of ammunition. That is why the docking of the Yuan Xiang Fa Zhan vessel at Chittagong port will be a cause of concern for New Delhi.
