Pakistan seeks 4-nation regional forum involving Bangladesh
Raheed EjazDhaka
Published: 06 Feb 2026, 18: 33
After China’s seven-month-long effort to form a regional alliance involving Bangladesh and Pakistan failed due to Dhaka’s reluctance, Pakistan has now proposed a new regional cooperation framework bringing together Bangladesh, China and Myanmar.
If Bangladesh agrees, Pakistan wants to move quickly to advance the initiative through a meeting in Islamabad.
Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Islamabad say that in the final week of January, Pakistan formally placed the proposal for a four-country meeting before top Bangladeshi authorities. Preparations were even made to convene a meeting of foreign ministry officials from Bangladesh, China and Myanmar in Islamabad before the 12 February general election.
A source at the policymaking level of the interim government told Prothom Alo that Bangladesh has responded positively in principle to Pakistan’s proposal. Pakistan, for its part, is keen to hold the meeting in the first half of February. However, with the national election approaching, Bangladesh is not inclined to participate in such a meeting at this stage.
When asked, foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain told Prothom Alo that Pakistan had proposed establishing a cooperative framework involving four countries and wished to hold a meeting to that end.
In June last year, Beijing and Islamabad actively pursued the formation of a trilateral forum through an informal meeting in Kunming, China. The initiative ultimately failed to materialise after Bangladesh declined to participate.
“The tenure of the interim government is now nearing its end. Islamabad has been informed that such a meeting may be held after the formation of a new government,” he said.
How and when Pakistan made the proposal
Diplomatic sources in Bangladesh and Pakistan told this correspondent that over the past month, the foreign affairs adviser held several discussions with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar. The two met on the sidelines of multiple multilateral forums outside Bangladesh. In addition, they spoke by phone at least three times in January, with Ishaq Dar initiating each call.
During those discussions, they exchanged views not only on bilateral relations but also on regional and international cooperation.
On 24 January, Ishaq Dar telephoned Touhid Hossain, two days before Myanmar’s foreign minister Than Swe arrived in Islamabad on a bilateral visit. The conversation lasted more than 15 minutes and covered a range of bilateral and regional issues.
On the bilateral front, discussions included the resumption of direct Dhaka–Karachi flights after a 14-year hiatus (which resumed on 29 January), the launch of direct cargo shipping on the Karachi–Chattogram route, high-level exchanges between the two countries after the 12 February election, expanded trade and investment, and the possible purchase of Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter jets.
Referring to the visit of Myanmar’s foreign minister, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister asked whether he could raise the Rohingya issue and sought Bangladesh’s views on the matter. Touhid Hossain responded that Pakistan could play a constructive role in supporting efforts to resolve the Rohingya crisis.
Alternative to stalled trilateral forum
In June last year, Beijing and Islamabad actively pursued the formation of a trilateral forum through an informal meeting in Kunming, China. The initiative ultimately failed to materialise after Bangladesh declined to participate.
In a constantly evolving global context, it is worth considering how appropriate it is for an interim government, in its final phase, to actively engage in such new initiatives-------M Humayun Kabir, former ambassador and president of BEI.
China and Pakistan raised the issue with Bangladesh on several occasions in Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur, in addition to Kunming. Despite sustained efforts by Beijing and Islamabad, the proposed Bangladesh–China–Pakistan trilateral alliance could not be activated.
Bangladesh’s position was that such a grouping would not be effective in South Asia unless a fourth country, such as Sri Lanka or Nepal, was included. In early January, Pakistan proposed a formal trilateral meeting in Islamabad, but Bangladesh declined, stating that the government formed after the upcoming election should decide on the matter.
On 24 January, Ishaq Dar proposed hosting a regional meeting in Islamabad involving Bangladesh, China, Myanmar and Pakistan. In response, Touhid Hossain suggested that the first meeting could be held at the joint secretary level. Ishaq Dar, however, proposed holding it at an additional secretary level.
It was eventually agreed that the first meeting of the four countries would be held in Islamabad at the additional secretary level, although Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser sought to defer the meeting until after the February election. Pakistan, however, remains keen to hold the meeting before the elections.
Former ambassador and president of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), M Humayun Kabir, said that careful consideration was needed before engaging in such initiatives at the final stage of an interim government’s tenure.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Humayun Kabir further said the Bay of Bengal had become increasingly significant amid global geopolitical competition, prompting China to pursue initiatives in the region with an assertive posture.
He added that Pakistan, too, had become more active following Bangladesh’s political transition after August 2024.
“As a result, cooperation does not remain confined strictly to bilateral or clearly defined regional issues,” he said.
“In a constantly evolving global context, it is worth considering how appropriate it is for an interim government, in its final phase, to actively engage in such new initiatives,” Humayun Kabir added.
Bangladesh Defense
