Direct air connectivity between Pakistan and Bangladesh resumes after 13 years

Direct air connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed on Thursday, marking the first regular passenger flight between the two countries since 2012, as diplomatic and commercial ties show signs of warming.

National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated the inaugural flight to Karachi, carrying around 150 passengers. The airline said the service will now run twice a week.

For years, travellers moving between the two countries had been forced to rely on indirect routes via Gulf hubs such as Dubai and Doha, adding time and cost to journeys.

One passenger, Mohammad Shahid, said the resumption of direct flights would make frequent travel possible again. He noted that earlier travel constraints limited his visits to once every two or three years despite strong personal and family connections on both sides.

In a statement, Biman said the restored air link is expected to support trade and commerce, widen educational exchanges, and strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.

Bangladesh and Pakistan, separated geographically by about 1,500 kilometres of Indian territory, were part of the same state until a war in 1971 led to Bangladesh’s independence.

Relations between Dhaka and Islamabad have improved since the 2024 student led uprising in Bangladesh that ended the 15 year rule of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Over the same period, Bangladesh’s ties with India have cooled.

Economic and people to people links have also expanded. Cargo shipping between Karachi and Bangladesh’s main port of Chittagong resumed in November 2024, trade volumes have increased, Pakistani musicians have performed in Dhaka, and Bangladeshi patients have travelled to Pakistan for medical treatment.