Bangladesh’s Air Chief Appreciates Pakistan’s Contributions Towards Peace As He Meets CDF Asim Munir
Bangladesh's air chief appreciated their contributions towards regional peace and stability. Image courtesy: RNA
Amid Bangladesh’s strained ties with India, Pakistan seems to have found an opportunity for itself. Both Islamabad and Dhaka have taken fresh steps to deepen their defence and military cooperation, signalling a gradual strengthening of bilateral ties as Bangladesh’s Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan met Pakistan’s top military leadership recently.
Mahmood held a series of high-level meetings with Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday (January 8, 2025). The engagements come amid shifting regional dynamics in South Asia, indicating a renewed effort by both countries to expand professional military collaboration.
The latest series of engagements come a few months after Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Dhaka in August 2025 for a two-day official visit. Interestingly, this was the first such visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh since 2012.
Increasing Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral ties
During a meeting at General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi, Bangladesh’s Air Chief met Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Asim Munir, where the two sides discussed bilateral defence cooperation, regional security dynamics, and ways to enhance military-to-military engagement.
According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s military, both leaders underscored the importance of strengthening professional collaboration, training exchanges and defence ties between the armed forces of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Why are defence ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh growing?
The talks reflect Dhaka’s growing emphasis on diversifying defence partnerships and engaging with regional players on pragmatic security cooperation. Bangladesh’s Air Chief praised the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and acknowledged their contributions to regional peace and stability, the statement said.
General Munir, in turn, reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fostering enduring defence relations with Bangladesh, signalling Islamabad’s interest in rebuilding trust and expanding cooperation with Dhaka.
Naval cooperation also expanding?
As part of his visit, Air Chief Marshal Khan also met Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of the Naval Staff, at Naval Headquarters in Islamabad. Their discussions focused on the evolving regional maritime security environment, professional military cooperation, expanding naval engagement and coordination.
Admiral Ashraf highlighted the Pakistan Navy’s role in promoting maritime peace and stability through regional initiatives, while Khan acknowledged the navy’s high professional standards and expressed interest in enhancing collaboration between the two “brotherly nations.”
Moreover, both the sides agreed on the need to increase the frequency of high-level military exchanges, along with expanding joint training exercises, and building greater operational synergy between the two armed forces. Such steps, officials said, would help institutionalise cooperation and strengthen long-term defence ties.
Is defence procurement on the table too?
A day earlier on Wednesday (January 7, 2026), the Bangladesh Air Chief had a meeting with Pakistan Air Force chief Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, where discussions reportedly included the potential procurement of JF-17 “Thunder” fighter jets by Dhaka. While no formal agreement was announced, the talks point to Bangladesh exploring cost-effective combat aircraft options.
