Pakistan is trying to boost its relationship with Bangladesh by offering new trade support at a time when Dhaka is facing problems in its trade ties with India. To help Bangladesh continue exporting its goods, Pakistan has proposed allowing the country to use Karachi port for shipping jute and other products to markets such as China, Gulf nations, and Central Asia.

This proposal was made during the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting held in Dhaka after almost twenty years. The meeting signaled a new phase of economic cooperation between the two nations, which have maintained a complicated relationship since Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan in 1971.

Pakistan’s offer comes at a moment when India has imposed strong trade restrictions on Bangladeshi jute. India banned imports of jute products through land routes, forcing Bangladeshi exporters to rely on sea routes. This shift has increased transportation time and costs, harming Bangladesh’s export profits.

India also cancelled a transhipment agreement that earlier allowed Bangladeshi goods to move easily through Indian ports. The impact is already visible. Export earnings from Bangladesh’s jute sector dropped from $12.9 million in July 2024 to only $3.4 million in July this year.

Although Pakistan’s Karachi port sounds like a new opportunity for Dhaka, experts say the sea route between the two countries is long and expensive. A cargo ship from Pakistan reached Bangladesh last year for the first time in over five decades, but the journey took two weeks. Due to this, the offer is seen more as a political message than a practical trade solution.

Pakistan has also removed or reduced taxes on Bangladeshi jute imports to support the sector. Bangladesh is the second-largest jute producer in the world, and jute accounts for 38 percent of its exports to Pakistan. Pakistan has requested faster approval for its mango exports to Bangladesh, hoping to replace the reduced imports from India.

Trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan remains small. In 2024–25, business worth $865 million was recorded, and Pakistan accounted for most of the exports.

The political situation in Bangladesh has changed since Sheikh Hasina’s departure from power after student-led protests. Under the interim leadership of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh is reshaping its foreign policy and reaching out to Pakistan and China.

Pakistan has viewed this shift as an opportunity and is moving quickly to strengthen its influence. Its port proposal to Bangladesh reflects the changing power dynamics in South Asia, where trade routes, ports, and economic partnerships are becoming part of a larger geopolitical contest.