Kamal Ghorui
Pakistan and Bangladesh on Thursday resumed direct air connectivity after a 14-year suspension, marking a move towards improving bilateral ties as Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated its inaugural Dhaka–Karachi flight.The flight, BG341, landed at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport at 11.03 pm after departing Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8.15 pm, according to flight tracking data cited by Dawn. The aircraft received a traditional water cannon salute on arrival, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said in a statement .Speaking to reporters at the airport, Sindh governor Kamran Tessori said cooperation between the two countries would extend beyond aviation to other sectors.Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s high commission in Dhaka said the “fully packed” inaugural flight was seen off by Bangladesh’s civil aviation and tourism adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin, Pakistan high commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider, and other officials .Addressing the ceremony in Dhaka, Sheikh Bashiruddin said the Dhaka–Karachi route aimed at “enhancing connectivity, promoting tourism and strengthening people-to-people links”. He added, “Bangladesh Airlines will gradually increase flight frequency and reduce airfares to make travel more affordable for the people” .Pakistan’s high commissioner referred to discussions between Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on restoring air links. “In view of the vision of the leadership and aspirations of the people of our two countries… both sides agreed to take immediate measures for the resumption of direct flights,” he said, referring to talks held during deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Dhaka in August last year .Direct flights between the two countries had been suspended since 2012, forcing travellers to rely on connecting routes via Gulf hubs such as Dubai and Doha. The two nations, once part of a single country before the 1971 war, are geographically separated by about 1,500 km of Indian territory .Biman Bangladesh Airlines said the twice-weekly flights would “play a significant role in promoting trade and commerce, expanding educational exchanges, and fostering cultural ties between the two countries” .Mohammad Shahid, one of the 150 passengers on the inaugural Karachi-bound flight, said the resumption would make travel easier. “We had been waiting for such an opportunity because we travel continuously,” he told AFP. “There are so many people waiting in Pakistan to come here, and some waiting here to go there” .Bilateral ties have shown signs of improvement since the change of government in Bangladesh in 2024, even as Dhaka’s relations with India have cooled. Cargo shipping between Karachi and Chittagong resumed in November 2024, alongside increased trade, cultural exchanges and medical travel, AFP reported .(With inputs from agencies)
