Dhaka Handshake: Diplomatic Courtesy, Not a Policy Signal

By Ali Imran Chattha (Analyst)
 

A brief handshake and exchange of greetings between Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar occurred in Dhaka on Wednesday, drawing attention principally for its rarity rather than its substance.

The interaction took place on the sidelines of the state funeral of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died on 30 December 2025 following a prolonged illness. The funeral, held at the National Parliament House and attended by thousands amid three days of national mourning, brought together regional dignitaries including representatives from India and Pakistan. Official photographs, shared by Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, show Minister Jaishankar approaching Speaker Sadiq, introducing himself, and initiating a short handshake accompanied by cordial pleasantries, including mutual enquiries about health. The entire exchange lasted under a minute, with no evidence of any formal discussion or agenda.
Diplomatic sources in both capitals characterise the moment as standard protocol at a multilateral ceremonial event in a neutral third-country setting, governed by the solemn atmosphere of collective mourning. Pakistan’s delegation attended to convey official condolences from its leadership, while Minister Jaishankar separately delivered a personal letter of sympathy from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman (Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party), and other family members. These engagements remained entirely distinct.
This encounter constitutes the first visible high-level contact between senior Indian and Pakistani officials since the military escalation in May 2025. Nonetheless, both governments have been categorical in rejecting any broader interpretation. Indian briefings reaffirm that policy towards Pakistan remains unchanged, while Pakistani statements describe the gesture strictly as a matter of diplomatic etiquette, initiated by the Indian side in the context of the funeral proceedings.
Viewed through the lens of regional diplomacy, the episode underscores the stringent constraints that continue to govern India–Pakistan relations in the post-May environment. Even the most rudimentary interpersonal contact is meticulously bounded, symbolically neutral, and deliberately insulated from any policy ramifications. Such interactions highlight how narrowed communication norms have eliminated space for informal signalling, even in inherently apolitical settings.
As 2025 concludes, the Dhaka handshake stands not as a harbinger of rapprochement but as a stark illustration of the managed restraint and rigid protocol that now define relations between South Asia’s two nuclear-armed neighbours.