Bangladesh to restart direct Dhaka–Karachi flights after 12 years

Bangladesh is set to resume direct air connectivity with Pakistan as Biman Bangladesh Airlines prepares to relaunch regular flights between Dhaka and Karachi later this month, ending a decade-long suspension of the route.

A wave of condolence messages and high-level visits from India following the death of Bangladesh’s first female prime minister Khaleda Zia has signalled a possible thaw in strained Dhaka–Delhi relations after months of diplomatic tension.

Bangladesh’s interim government has recalled its High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah, to Dhaka for consultations as tensions escalate between the two neighbouring countries.

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a towering figure in the country’s turbulent political history, has died at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness, party officials and hospital sources said.

Bangladesh has expressed deep concern over what it described as `mass violence` targeting minority communities in India, including Muslims and Christians, and urged Indian authorities to carry out impartial investigations and ensure accountability for those responsible.

The World Bank has approved $150.75 million in additional financing to help Bangladesh expand employment and income opportunities for low-income youth and microentrepreneurs, with a strong focus on women and people living in climate-vulnerable areas.

Bangladesh has suspended visa and consular services in India’s New Delhi, Siliguri and Agartala following protests by Hindu nationalist groups, with officials citing security concerns behind the temporary shutdowns.

Bangladesh and Japan have concluded negotiations on a landmark Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), clearing the way for wide-ranging trade liberalisation, expanded market access and deeper economic cooperation between the two countries.

The European Union has announced the deployment of an Election Observation Mission to Bangladesh to monitor the country’s parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 February 2026, following a formal invitation from Bangladeshi authorities.

Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving with the United Nations were killed and at least eight others wounded after a drone attack hit a UN base in Abyei, a disputed and volatile region of southern Sudan, authorities said on Saturday.

Maritime analysts are calling for deeper cooperation between India and Bangladesh to effectively manage unresolved jurisdictional complexities in the Bay of Bengal, even though a landmark UN tribunal ruling in 2014 formally settled the long-running maritime boundary dispute between the two neighbours.

Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has overtaken Tokyo to become the world’s largest city, with an estimated 41.9 million people living in its metropolitan area, according to a new United Nations assessment. Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka now ranks second with 36.6 million residents, reflecting one of the fastest urban population surges globally.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said she is listening to a wide range of stakeholders in Bangladesh and discussing how the Commonwealth can continue supporting its people at this important moment and in the years ahead.

A Bangladeshi man was shot dead near the Sylhet border on Saturday night, in what authorities say was an attack carried out by members of India’s Khasi community. 

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey will make her first official visit to Bangladesh from 20–24 November 2025. Her visit comes at a politically sensitive time, with Bangladesh navigating a transition under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee has unanimously adopted a new resolution calling for intensified global efforts to ensure a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.