A Handshake in Dhaka: Can India and Pakistan Reset in 2026?

A brief handshake in Dhaka has done what months of statements and summits could not, reignited debate over the future of India-Pakistan ties.

On December 31, Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar exchanged greetings on the sidelines of the state funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia. According to Dawn, the encounter marked the first public, high-level contact between the two sides since their military standoff in May 2025.

The moment was short, unscripted and symbolic. Jaishankar reportedly approached Sadiq in Bangladesh’s parliament complex, introduced himself and extended his hand. Photographs released by Sadiq’s office, later shared by Bangladesh’s interim government, quickly made the rounds online.

While officials downplayed the interaction as routine diplomacy, analysts say the optics matter. Al Jazeera reported that the handshake stood out in a year when tensions ran so high that even sporting events were stripped of customary courtesies, including handshake refusals during the Asia Cup.

Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours collapsed last year after the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of backing the assault, a charge Islamabad denied. What followed was a sharp spiral: diplomatic freezes, border closures, India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and a brief but dangerous exchange of air strikes that only ended after US mediation.

Against that backdrop, even a modest show of civility drew attention. Pakistani commentators cited by Al Jazeera described the gesture as a “positive signal,” albeit a fragile one. Indian outlets, meanwhile, were more restrained, calling it a protocol-driven exchange rather than a political breakthrough.

No talks were announced. No joint statements followed. Still, experts say the encounter hints at a shared understanding that perpetual hostility carries risks neither side can afford.

Whether the Dhaka handshake becomes a footnote or the first crack in a frozen relationship now depends on what comes next, quiet diplomacy, or more familiar silence.

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