By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Bangladesh’s national airline will resume direct flights to Pakistan this month after more than a decade, marking a key milestone in the warming of ties between the two South Asian nations following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines plans to launch twice-weekly service between Dhaka and Karachi starting Jan. 29, with flights operating on Thursdays and Saturdays, according to spokesperson Boshra Islam. The inaugural flight is set to depart Dhaka at 8 pm local time and arrive in Karachi at 11 pm Pakistan time.
“We are relaunching the Dhaka-Karachi route with two weekly flights,” Islam said. The move ends a hiatus in regular passenger service that dates back to 2012. Travelers between the countries have relied on connecting flights through Gulf hubs like Dubai and Doha.
Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority has granted Biman initial approval to operate the route for three months through March 26, with an extension expected afterward, a spokesperson for the regulator said. “The resumption of direct flights will significantly improve connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan, supporting business travel, tourism, and family reunions,” Biman said in a statement.
The airline’s decision comes amid a broader thaw in relations strained during Hasina’s rule, when Dhaka tilted toward India and openly criticised Islamabad. Ties have strengthened markedly since a student-led uprising toppled her government in 2024, forcing her into exile. Pakistan has actively courted the interim administration led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
Last month, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq traveled to Dhaka for the funeral of Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister. In August 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Dhaka and met with Yunus. The two sides signed six agreements covering visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders, trade cooperation, media collaboration and cultural exchanges.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, expressed optimism about the flights during a meeting with Yunus last month, saying he hoped direct service between Karachi and Dhaka would begin in January. The air link builds on recent progress in trade and logistics. Cargo ships resumed sailing from Karachi to Bangladesh’s Chittagong port in November 2024, the first such voyages in years.
In February 2025, a cargo vessel sailed directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh and unloaded containers successfully, according to port officials. State-owned Pakistan International Airlines signed a cargo agreement with Biman in November 2025 to streamline air freight and boost bilateral trade. A PIA spokesperson described the pact as a Cargo Interline Special Agreement, part of the carrier’s push to expand its freight business and provide more competitive services.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once a single country until 1971, when a bloody civil war led to Bangladesh’s independence. Decades of limited engagement followed, but the post-Hasina era has opened doors to renewed cooperation, even as Dhaka’s relations with New Delhi remain tense over India’s decision to grant asylum to the former leader.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
