By Admin 
Pakistan Bangladesh Direct Flight: In an important diplomatic and transport related step in the relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh, direct air service between the two countries has once again started after a long gap of 14 years. The first non-stop flight from Dhaka to Karachi departed on Thursday night, restoring direct air connectivity between the two countries.
First direct flight on Dhaka-Karachi route since 2012
On Thursday, the first direct flight operated by Bangladesh’s state-run airlines landed at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, where it was welcomed with the traditional water salute. This is the first direct flight on the Dhaka-Karachi route since 2012.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider and many senior officials were present at the inauguration ceremony held in Dhaka. A special program was also organized at Karachi Airport to commemorate this historic occasion. According to news agency Xinhua, Bangladesh Airlines has currently been allowed to operate flights on this route till March 30.
Service will be available two days a week
Under the new arrangement, the airline will operate flights twice a week on Thursday and Saturday. The flight will depart from Dhaka at 8 pm and reach Karachi at 11 pm. The return flight will take off from Karachi at 12 midnight and reach Dhaka at 4:20 am.
Till now, passengers traveling between the two countries had to take connecting flights through international hubs like Dubai or Doha. Starting direct flights will not only reduce travel time, but will also boost trade, tourism and people-to-people contact.
Sign of warmth returning in relationships
The resumption of direct air service has come at a time when the relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan are gradually improving and warming. Citing security concerns, the then Sheikh Hasina government had suspended direct flights in 2012. After the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power following the student movement in Bangladesh in August 2024, new positivity has started appearing in the relations between the two countries.
Approval received after high level talks
Talks regarding Dhaka-Karachi direct flight were going on since last year. The plan was formally announced during the visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka in August 2025. This was the first high-level political visit between the two countries in more than a decade, which gave a new direction to bilateral relations.