In a major development signalling deepening intelligence and defence cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Islamabad has established a special Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) cell inside its High
Commission in Dhaka, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18.
According to the sources, the move follows a four-day visit by Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza to Bangladesh, during which he met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and the country’s top military leadership, including the chiefs of the army, navy, and air force.
Sources said General Mirza led an eight-member delegation, which included senior ISI officers, among them a Major General, as well as representatives from Pakistan’s air force and navy. The delegation held multiple rounds of discussions with senior officials from Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence (NSI) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).
Joint Intelligence Mechanism Established
Top intelligence officials confirmed that both sides agreed to set up a joint intelligence-sharing and cooperation framework, focused primarily on monitoring the Bay of Bengal and the airspace along India’s eastern flank.
Under the new arrangement, Bangladesh has reportedly granted Pakistan permission to appoint intelligence officers at its High Commission in Dhaka. The first phase of deployment will include one Brigadier, two Colonels, four Majors, and officers from Pakistan’s air force and navy, along with support staff.
Defence Cooperation on the Rise
In exchange, Pakistan has offered Bangladesh a range of military and technical assistance, including training programmes, supply of infantry and artillery systems, and joint naval and air force exercises. Dhaka is said to have shown particular interest in JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and Fatah-series rocket systems, according to the same sources.
A high-level Bangladeshi military delegation is expected to visit Pakistan soon to finalise several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and defence procurement deals that were discussed during General Mirza’s Dhaka tour.
A New Chapter Post-Hasina Era
The renewed Pakistan-Bangladesh engagement marks a significant shift since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. Islamabad was among the first to welcome the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, expressing solidarity with “the people of Bangladesh”.
Since then, the two countries have seen a rapid thaw in relations—signing agreements on visa-free diplomatic travel, trade facilitation, defence collaboration, sea route access, and air connectivity. Senior Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, have held multiple meetings with Yunus over the past year, both in Dhaka and on the sidelines of international summits.
Defence cooperation has also expanded, with Bangladeshi generals visiting Pakistan’s GHQ in Rawalpindi and Pakistani commanders receiving red-carpet welcomes in Dhaka. The establishment of the ISI cell marks the most concrete institutional link yet in this renewed partnership.
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