Bangladesh’s Home Secretary Nasimul Gani, a bureaucrat whose past associations with the banned pan-Islamist outfit Hizbut Tehrir are well-documented within regional security networks, has embarked on an unusually long second visit to Pakistan. The tour, which began on November 7, has now stretched beyond ten days—sparking concern and curiosity within India’s intelligence establishment.

This latest visit comes barely six weeks after a nine-day trip to Islamabad in mid-September. During that tour, Gani was received warmly by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry Special Secretary Dawood Muhammad Bareach and Bangladesh High Commissioner Mohammad Iqbal Hussain Khan.

Yet the ongoing trip stands out for a striking reason: the interim regime in Dhaka, led by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus, has offered no official explanation or itinerary. This silence is especially notable given the regime’s rapidly expanding diplomatic and strategic engagement with Pakistan since taking charge after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 8, 2024.

Rapidly deepening Dhaka–Islamabad ties

Pakistan and Bangladesh have been engaging at an accelerated pace over the past year. Pakistani defence, diplomatic, and bureaucratic delegations have made repeated visits to Dhaka, signalling a warming relationship.

Most recently, Pakistan’s Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf completed a five-day visit to Bangladesh between November 8 and 12. Prior to that, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aamna Baloch visited Dhaka in April. In January 2025, a three-member ISI team led by a major general also travelled to Bangladesh, reportedly surveying areas along the India–Bangladesh border.

Even as DGFI Chief Major General Jahangir Alam has yet to visit Pakistan officially, sources say he has already met ISI officials at neutral venues such as Turkey.

Adding to the increasing frequency of exchanges, Bangladesh’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan visited Pakistan from November 4 to 6—accompanied by her husband and three relatives, marking the first such family-inclusive visit by an adviser of the interim administration.

Security concerns amid political volatility

Indian intelligence agencies are tracking Gani’s extended stay with particular caution. His visit comes at a moment of political tension in Bangladesh: the International Crimes Tribunal recently handed a death sentence to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The verdict has triggered fears of domestic unrest and possible factional fractures within the security establishment.

Given this backdrop, the opacity surrounding Gani’s trip—no agenda, no public statements, and no official briefings—has heightened anxieties in New Delhi.
Sources within India’s security system note that Pakistan’s engagement with the Yunus-led interim authority has been growing “far deeper and faster” than publicly acknowledged. The agreement between both nations to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic-passport holders further underscores the strengthening ties.

Gani’s Pakistan trip also aligns with crucial regional meetings. Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman held talks with India’s NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi on November 20—just before the Colombo Security Conclave.

Opaque visit raises further questions

While diplomatic visits are routine in regional geopolitics, what makes Gani’s ongoing Pakistan tour particularly significant is the lack of transparency from Dhaka. There has been no public indication of whom he has met, what agreements are under consideration and whether any security or administrative cooperation frameworks are being negotiated.

Officials monitoring the situation say this silence is unusual even by the interim government’s standards.

As Gani continues his unannounced engagements in Pakistan, analysts across South Asia are watching closely—concerned that the growing Dhaka–Islamabad axis may reshape regional strategic equations at a critical moment for Bangladesh’s internal stability and India’s security interests.

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