PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH ESTABLISH DIRECT MARITIME LINK

Pakistan and Bangladesh’s direct maritime link signals improved relations and shifting strategic dynamics.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Earlier this week, a cargo vessel from Pakistan's Karachi arrived at Chittagong Port, marking the first-ever direct maritime link between the two countries.The said cargo ship, according to reports, was carrying goods amounting to 2,300 TEUS (twenty-foot equivalent units), a unit of measurement used to describe the cargo capacity of shipping containers. Large container ships can transport more than 18,000 TEUS.

This docking is being viewed as a major step towards enhancing trade and business ties between the two Muslim-majority nations. It also serves as a testament to how Dhaka's strategic views and goals have changed rapidly and significantly since the illegal overthrow of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in what is widely accepted as a colour revolution, followed by the installation of Mohammad Yunus as the caretaker Prime Minister.

The distance between Karachi port and Chittagong is around 2,600 nautical miles, and it takes approximately 10-12 days to cover the distance.