Dhaka–Karachi Flights Resume After a Fourteen-Year Gap
Biman Bangladesh resumed direct Dhaka–Karachi flights on 29 January 2026 after a 14-year gap, following the return of Karachi–Chattogram cargo shipping and new trade agreements.
By the UISC BD Editorial Desk · United Information Service Center · Published 9 September 2026 · 6-minute read
On 29 January 2026, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft flew from Dhaka to Karachi. It was an unremarkable flight in every respect except one: it was the first direct service between Bangladesh's capital and Pakistan's largest city since 2012.
The route now operates twice weekly.
Shipping Came First
The aviation link was not the opening move. Direct cargo shipping between Karachi and Chattogram resumed in November 2024, restoring a sea route that had likewise been dormant for years.
That sequencing tells you what is driving this. Cargo vessels do not sail on sentiment; they sail when there is freight to carry. The shipping link reopened because there was trade to move, and the passenger route followed the commercial relationship rather than leading it.
The Diplomatic Track
In August 2025, Pakistan's Foreign Minister travelled to Dhaka in a visit Al Jazeera described as historic — the first such trip in many years. It concluded with agreements covering trade and diplomacy.
The wider context, reported consistently across international coverage, is that Bangladesh–Pakistan relations have warmed since 2024, in a period when Dhaka's relationship with New Delhi cooled. Islamabad moved to rebuild channels with Dhaka; Dhaka was receptive.
What Actually Moves on This Route
Beyond diplomatic symbolism, reporting identifies several concrete flows:
- Bilateral trade volumes, which have risen since the shipping link reopened.
- Medical travel — patients crossing for treatment, a significant and often-overlooked category of South Asian air traffic.
- Educational exchange — students moving in both directions.
- Cultural exchange, cited by Biman among the route's justifications.
Biman itself framed the service as intended to promote trade and commerce, expand educational exchange, and strengthen cultural ties.
The Economic Logic
Pakistan and Bangladesh are both large economies with young populations, and both are substantial textile producers — which makes them competitors in some segments and potential collaborators in others. Pakistan grows significant quantities of cotton; Bangladesh imports most of its raw cotton to feed the largest garment manufacturing sector outside China.
That complementarity is the most plausible commercial foundation for the relationship. A direct shipping route and a working air link lower the transaction cost of exploring it.
Reading It Proportionately
Two flights a week is a modest service, and normalisation between these two states carries a long and complicated history that a flight schedule does not erase. This is not a transformation.
It is, however, a measurable improvement in connectivity between two countries with a combined population above 400 million that had been operating with almost none. In a region where transport links are frequently the first casualty of political disagreement, restoring one is worth recording.
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- Bangladesh Has Three Extra Years in Europe. Here's What Happens in 2029.
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Sources
- "Bangladesh to resume direct flights to Pakistan's Karachi after decade-long suspension," Arab News — arabnews.com
- "Flights resume between Bangladesh and Pakistan after 14 years," The National — thenationalnews.com
- "Pakistan FM holds talks with Bangladeshi officials during 'historic' visit," Al Jazeera — aljazeera.com
- "Warming ties bring direct Bangladesh–Pakistan flights after 14-year gap," Malay Mail — malaymail.com
