Bangladesh Air Chief in Pakistan: JF-17 talks likely, raising India's alarm

• Bangladesh Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan's visit to Pakistan is the first by a Bangladeshi service chief since 1971, signaling a significant shift.
• The visit, officially for defense cooperation, includes potential evaluation of Pakistan's JF-17 Block III fighter jets and other military exchanges.
• This engagement is part of a pattern of high-level defense interactions between Dhaka and Islamabad since early 2025.
• Pakistan aims to re-establish its influence in Bangladesh's defense ecosystem, viewing JF-17 sales as a political victory to end post-1971 isolation.
• India is deeply concerned, seeing it as Bangladesh's "drift back into Pakistan's strategic orbit" under Muhammad Yunus, complicating regional security.

Why It Matters: Bangladesh's deepening military ties with Pakistan under Yunus signal a worrying shift, alarming India.