Bangladesh seeks Pakistan apology for 1971 atrocities during talks

Bangladesh has demanded a formal public apology for the “atrocities” committed by Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War and raised pending financial claims during the first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) meeting in 15 years. The talks come as Bangladesh, under interim chief Muhammad Yunus, seeks to repair ties with Pakistan that reached its lowest ebb during the Sheikh Hasina regime.

While foreign secretary Amna Baloch led the Pakistani delegation, foreign secretary Md Jashim Uddin represented Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has also sought $4.52 billion from Pakistan as part of its share of pre-1971 assets. After the 1971 war, East Pakistan split from West Pakistan to form an independent Bangladesh.

“These issues need to be resolved to establish a solid foundation for our bilateral relations,” Md Jashim Uddin told reporters.

The Pakistani army’s crackdown on the Bengali population of East Pakistan in March 1971 has been a sore point between the two nations since the formation of Bangladesh. During the Pakistani army’s Operation Searchlight, around 30 lakh Bengalis were believed to have been killed, and several women were raped.

The two sides also discussed the launch of direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bangladesh also raised the issue of the repatriation of more than 3 lakh stranded Pakistanis who have been living in relief camps.

Bangladesh and Pakistan are trying to rebuild their strategic ties after one-and-a-half decades to remain engaged on pending issues.

When asked about Pakistan’s response during the discussions, the foreign secretary said they assured Bangladesh of their continued engagement. “They expressed their interest in remaining engaged. Our objective was to raise the key issues,” he noted.

Jashim Uddin also announced that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar would visit Bangladesh on April 27-28. Ishaq Dar’s visit will be the first by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Bangladesh since 2012.

Pakistan’s foreign secretary Amna Baloch also met Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain separately on Thursday.