Less than two weeks after the National Security Advisers of India and Bangladesh met in New Delhi, senior Pakistani defence officials continue to make back-to-back visits to Dhaka, triggering renewed scrutiny within India’s security establishment.
The latest visitor is Commodore Zia ur Rehman, Commandant of the Pakistan Naval Academy, who arrived at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport on December 6. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Commander Noman Aslam and two cadet officers.

The delegation flew in on Emirates flight, which landed at 8:20 am. Te team departed Bangladesh on December 8.

This marks the third visit by senior Pakistan Navy officers in recent weeks. Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf had visited Bangladesh in the third week of November, during which he also brought Pakistan’s guided missile frigate PNS Saif to Chittagong Port for a three-day stay.

Delhi watching developments closely

It remains unclear whether Indian NSA Ajit Doval, during his meeting with Bangladesh’s Principal Staff Officer (PSO) Lieutenant General Khalilur Rahman, specifically flagged the sudden uptick in high-ranking Pakistani military visits. What is known, however, is that Doval handed over a detailed dossier listing suspected Islamist terror hideouts and fundamentalist networks operating inside Bangladesh.
Intelligence sources say the ongoing stream of Pakistani military officials visiting Bangladesh is taking place with explicit approval from Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus and Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman.

The invitations are reportedly being issued at the behest of the Armed Forces Division’s PSO, Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hassan, who has moved with “unusual haste,” according to sources familiar with the matter.

Strategic infrastructure upgrades near India’s Siliguri corridor

The visits coincide with rapid upgrades at Lalmonirhat airbase, located barely 20 km from India’s sensitive Siliguri Corridor, often called the “Chicken’s Neck.”
Despite public assurances in May 2025 from senior Bangladesh Army officials that the base modernisation would not pose a threat to India, construction continues at pace. New infrastructure includes a large hangar capable of hosting modern combat aircraft, residential and operational quarters for aviation units and expansion within the airbase’s 1,166-acre perimeter.

Simultaneously, the Bangladesh Air Force has advanced plans to procure Chinese fighter jets via Pakistan and China, along with offensive drones and missile systems from Turkey and China.

A Surge of Pakistan–Bangladesh military exchanges

Since January 2025, Dhaka has witnessed an influx of Pakistani military officials, including senior Army, ISI and Navy representatives.

Key engagements include Admiral Naveed Ashraf’s Dhaka and Chittagong visit (November 8–12), Pakistan’s PNS Saif docking in Chittagong, a Bangladeshi Navy delegation — led by Rear Admiral Moinul Hasan — visiting Pakistan from November 23 for Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks and signing a “Terms of Agreement” on undisclosed cooperation, a meeting between Lt General Shakir Ullah Khattak, Chairman of Heavy Industries Taxila, and Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman (November 23) and earlier high-level visits by Pakistan’s former Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza.

Upon arrival on December 6, Commodore Zia ur Rehman’s four-member team immediately proceeded to Chittagong by road. Official documents accessed by Northeast News confirm that the contingent is being provided round-the-clock security by Bangladesh’s Special Branch during their stay.

As these developments unfold, security observers in New Delhi warn that the increasing frequency and strategic nature of these Pakistan–Bangladesh interactions could add significant new dimensions to regional security dynamics.

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