New Delhi: Pakistan has reportedly offered Bangladesh the use of Karachi port for the export of their goods and products. The development comes amid strained ties between Dhaka and New Delhi. The development comes two months after India banned the import of several jute products from Bangladesh through all land routes.
Islamabad's offer came a day after Bangladesh’s interim chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, sparked controversy by gifting a Pakistani general a distorted map of Bangladesh that showed India’s northeastern states as part of the country.
Islamabad made the offer during the 9th Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting held in Dhaka, the first in two decades, Pakistan proposed allowing Bangladesh to use the Karachi port for exporting jute and other goods. The meeting was co-chaired by Pakistan’s petroleum minister Ali Pervez and Bangladesh’s finance adviser.
Pakistan has also expressed interest in importing jute and jute products from Bangladesh, signalling its intent to strengthen trade ties. Under the new proposal, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) would serve as a gateway for Bangladesh’s regional trade with China and the Central Asian states.
According to Pakistan-based Samaa TV, both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation between their national shipping corporations. The proposal could provide Bangladesh direct maritime access to markets in China, the Gulf and Central Asia. However, many geopolitical experts have questioned the economic viability of such a route.
Meanwhile, a close aide of Pakistan-based UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, visited Bangladesh. According to reports, General Secretary of Pakistan's Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, arrived in Dhaka on October 25. He was seen in areas near the Indian border.
