Top Pakistani General Meets Yunus: What Does Islamabad's Outreach To Dhaka Mean For Bangladesh?

Last Updated:October 26, 2025, 21:57 IST

Intelligence sources said Pakistan aims to dilute India's regional influence by reopening old diplomatic channels with Bangladesh

Pakistan Army's top general, Sahir Shamshad Mirza, paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his official visit to Dhaka on October 25. (Image: @ChiefAdviserGoB/X)

Pakistan’s outreach to Bangladesh is a calculated effort to re-engage with Dhaka, sources told News18.

Pakistan Army’s top general, Sahir Shamshad Mirza, paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus late on Saturday (October 25), during his official visit to Dhaka. He is the chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

A press note issued by Dhaka on Sunday said Muhammad Yunus and General Sahir Shamshad Mirza discussed a wide range of issues concerning Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, including the growing importance of bilateral trade, investment, and defence cooperation.

While this meeting highlights Pakistan’s continued efforts to strengthen regional dialogue and foster collaboration through defence diplomacy and mutual understanding, top intelligence sources said General Mirza’s move is a calculated effort to re-engage with Dhaka.

According to the sources, Pakistan aims to dilute India’s regional influence by reopening old diplomatic channels with Bangladesh, projecting itself as a moderate player and testing Dhaka’s willingness to diversify beyond New Delhi. This marks the first high-level Pakistan military engagement in Bangladesh since 1971, the sources said.

The sources said Pakistan likely aims to explore intelligence-sharing or military training arrangements in the future, using Yunus’s interim position to create openings before Bangladesh’s next electoral transition. The meeting also attempts to form an OIC-type bloc to align South Asian Muslim-majority states, seeking to align Bangladesh and Afghanistan with Pakistan’s positions on Palestine and other grievances within the Islamic world, they said.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MEETING?

Apart from their own bilateral relations, Yunus and General Mirza also engaged in talks about regional and global developments including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. 

“Emphasising the shared historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties between the two countries, General Mirza expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen cooperation in multiple sectors. He noted the vast potential for expanding trade, connectivity, and investment between Bangladesh and Pakistan," said the press note issued by Dhaka.

General Mirza, meanwhile, said the two countries will support each other, adding that a two-way shipping route between Karachi and Chittagong has already begun operations, while a Dhaka-Karachi air route is expected to open within months.

Both sides underscored the need to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and Europe. They exchanged views on the growing challenge of misinformation and the misuse of social media by non-state actors to undermine peace and stability across various regions.

“Fake news and disinformation have flooded social media. It is being used to sow chaos. There must be a concerted global effort to combat this menace," Yunus said.

(With agency inputs)

News world Top Pakistani General Meets Yunus: What Does Islamabad's Outreach To Dhaka Mean For Bangladesh?

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