Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
Hossain told the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha that “it is strategically possible for Bangladesh to join a regional grouping with Pakistan excluding India.”
Responding to Hossain’s remarks, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Islamabad “believes in multilateralism” and that any proposal from Bangladesh would be considered in the same spirit.
Hossain added that while such a grouping is strategically feasible for Bangladesh, it would not be possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a similar arrangement with Pakistan excluding India.
Last week, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said a new trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, China and Pakistan has begun and could expand to include other countries within and beyond the region.
Dar noted that “earlier this year, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan established a trilateral mechanism to foster cooperation in areas of common interest. There could be groups with variable geometry on issues ranging from economy to technology to connectivity.”
The first trilateral meeting was hosted by China in June in Kunming, with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong representing Beijing. Bangladesh was represented by acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique, while Pakistan was represented by Additional Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.
According to a joint statement, the three sides agreed to advance cooperation across multiple sectors and committed to the principles of “good-neighbourliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development and win-win cooperation.” The framework is rooted in “true multilateralism and open regionalism” and is “not directed at any third party.”
China and Pakistan are described as “all-weather strategic cooperative partners,” and Beijing’s ties with Bangladesh have strengthened in recent years. Last year, bilateral trade between China and both Pakistan and Bangladesh was around $23 billion.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabi...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Turkic states are assessing the feasibility of passport-free travel between countries using national ID cards, Kürşad Zorlu, the Deputy Chair...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
Air quality in Singapore plunged to “very unhealthy” levels on Friday, 9 October, as thick haze engulfed the city-state ahead of Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen claimed pole position for Saturday's Sprint race.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment