ISLAMABAD: An eight-member delegation of Bangladeshi journalists is currently visiting Islamabad on a goodwill tour aimed at strengthening engagement with Pakistan’s mainstream media.
Their seven-day visit also includes a trip to Lahore. They are visiting at the invitation of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
During their visit to WE News in Islamabad, the visiting delegates expressed their admiration for Pakistan. They stressed that such exchanges are vital for both nations, as people in Bangladesh are keen to learn more about Pakistan.
They further emphasised that visa regulations between the two countries should be relaxed to promote people-to-people contact and help heal past bitterness.
In a discussion with WE News and WE News English staff, the delegation members said that Hasina Wajid had been a key facilitator of Indian interference in Bangladeshi politics, adding that the social media accounts of Hasina and her associates were being operated from India.
A member of the delegation remarked that “Hasina Wajid is now history.”
The Bangladeshi journalists noted that although Bangladesh and India signed an extradition treaty in 2013, it contains numerous caveats.
“It is obvious that India will not hand over the exiled prime minister, which is a clear disregard for the court’s verdict,” a member of the visiting delegation said.
A senior staff member of WE News added that Pakistan’s media landscape is vibrant and markedly different from India’s.
“Unlike Pakistani media, Indian media does not question or challenge the government. It merely echoes the official narrative,” he said.
On the occasion, a Bangladeshi journalist noted that Sheikh Hasina’s government had been extremely hostile toward independent media and that he could cite numerous examples.
He recalled that when his newspaper published a report critical of the government, it was immediately banned and the editor was imprisoned for three years.
“Sheikh Hasina served as a proxy for the Indian government and would crack down even on those media outlets that refused to align with India’s interests,” he said. “Since her ouster, journalists in Bangladesh are finally experiencing a degree of freedom.”
Speaking about the sentiments of ordinary Bangladeshis toward Pakistan, a member of the visiting delegation referred to a recent study indicating that Bangladeshis hold positive feelings toward Pakistan and wish to visit the country.
He said the younger generation, especially, wants to improve relations and strongly opposes Indian interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs. He added that Bangladeshis would welcome easier visa procedures for travel to Pakistan.
He suggested that Pakistani media should highlight the Bangladeshi community living in Karachi so that people in Bangladesh can learn more about them.
Meanwhile, a senior staff member of WE News English noted that cricket and the entertainment industry form a strong cultural bridge between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“Pakistanis wholeheartedly support Bangladesh whenever it faces India—and Bangladeshis do the same,” he said.
A Bangladeshi journalist shared that when Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests, he was living in a university hostel in Bangladesh, where students celebrated by distributing sweets.
Similar celebrations broke out when news emerged of Pakistan shooting down Indian jets; the event was widely celebrated across Bangladesh.
The visit concluded with the delegation receiving souvenirs from WE News.
