The departure in Bangladesh of authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina is opening the way for improved academic relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan, as ties with India deteriorate.?

In December, Pakistan??a new programme that will provide fully funded scholarships to 300 Bangladeshi students. It follows Dhaka University ¨C Bangladesh¡¯s top university ¨C lifting a ban on admitting Pakistani students that had been in place since 2015.

The ban was widely seen as a result of pressure from Ms Hasina, who was known for her hostile approach to relations with Pakistan.?

However, these new decisions signify the warming of relations between the two countries under Bangladesh¡¯s new leadership, academics suggested.??

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¡°Under Hasina¡¯s government, Bangladeshi policy was disproportionately affected by Indian policy, leading to Pakistani institutions being singled out for differential treatment,¡± said C. Rashaad Shabah, a reader in economics at the University of Sussex.?

¡°Now that the Bangladeshi political establishment is no longer beholden to any particular foreign interest, there is room for optimism that academic collaboration and exchange between Bangladesh and Pakistan will be normalised.¡±

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Relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan have remained cool since 1971, when the former achieved independence after a bitter and violent war.?

Tensions between the two were exacerbated by Ms Hasina¡¯s close relationship with India, where she is currently sheltering?after being ousted by protesters.?

These strained relations extended to the university sphere, with few academic collaborations and exchanges taking place between the two countries.?

¡°Hopefully, these recent developments are a sign that Bangladeshi institutions will learn to work constructively with both Pakistani and Indian institutions, furthering academic freedom and the exchange of ideas across national borders, to the intellectual enrichment of all,¡± said Dr Shabah.??

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However, some believe enacting meaningful change will be a challenge, not least because Bangladesh is currently ruled by an interim government, with elections expected to take place in late 2025 at the earliest.?

¡°Until the time there is a proper regime, meaning [an] elected government in Bangladesh, the caretaker regime cannot make drastic decisions about mending fences,¡± said Moonis Ahmar, professor of international relations at Pakistan¡¯s University of Karachi.

Although many people are in favour of ¡°reviving economic, political [and] cultural ties¡±, any attempts at university level to improve relations are made harder by logistical issues, he said. There are no direct flights between the nations and securing a visa, particularly for Pakistanis travelling to Bangladesh, can be an ordeal.

Meanwhile, relations between Bangladesh and India have soured since Ms Hasina¡¯s departure, with implications for universities and students.?

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India suspended visa processing in Bangladesh when the uprising began and has not resumed doing so, leaving Bangladeshi students unable to secure a visa. As a result, some are unable to?,?not only for India, but also for other countries whose only embassies in the region are in India, intended to serve the wider region.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com