Dhaka University lifts decade-old ban on Pakistani students

Dhaka University recently lifted its nearly decade-old ban on admitting Pakistani students, signaling a potential thaw in Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

According to an official statement cited by the daily, the decision was made at a meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Niaz Ahmad Khan on Nov. 13.

Under the revised policy, Dhaka University will admit Pakistani students, while Bangladeshi students will gain opportunities to pursue higher education in Pakistan, fostering academic exchange and collaboration.

Explaining the move, Prof. Sayma Haque Bidisha from the vice chancellor's office, said the university wanted to facilitate its students.

“At one point, ties with Pakistan were cut, but Dhaka University is an academic institution. Many of our students need to visit Pakistan for scholarships or academic conferences. We resolved this issue through discussion to restore normal relations,” she said.

The ban, implemented in December 2015, coincided with Bangladesh's execution of pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami leaders for alleged war crimes during the 1971 war when the country seceded from Pakistan.

Welcome step: FO

Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch welcomed the step. She said, "It will enhance educational linkages and facilitate student exchanges between the two sides. It will help in bringing the youth of our two countries together."

A professor of History at Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam University, Ilhan Niaz also hailed the decision as a "sensible" one on the part of the new Bangladeshi government.

"The Pakistani government should welcome the gesture and offer to facilitate Bangladeshi students seeking admission to Pakistani universities," he said.

Pakistan should also offer scholarships in selected fields such as medicine and engineering, the professor maintained.

Hub for student movements

Established in 1921, Dhaka University was a central hub during Bangladesh's liberation movement.

It played a pivotal role in the Bengali Language Movement, where student protests led to Bengali being recognized as an official language.

Activists gather at the University of Dhaka's Teacher Student Centre, demanding capital punishment for former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August. Reuters

Earlier this year, the university closed briefly during violent quota reform protests but reopened after student-led mass unrest led to Sheikh Hasina's ousting from power.

In 1936, it awarded honorary doctorates to figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Allama Iqbal. Notable alumni include Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Muhammad Yunus, scientist Satyendra Nath Bose, and Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Thaw in ties

Recent developments indicate a thaw in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations after decades of strained ties.

Key events include the historic docking of a Pakistani cargo vessel at Chittagong Port—the first since Bangladesh's independence—and renewed discussions on trade and cooperation.

This diplomatic shift follows the ousting of Hasina's government, which had maintained a hardline stance against Pakistan. The interim government, led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has shown a willingness to mend ties, signaling a potential new chapter in bilateral relations.

With additional reporting by Aamir Abbasi.