Bangladesh Presses Pakistan for 1971 Apology During Dar’s Visit
Dhaka Demands Justice for 1971 Atrocities
Bangladesh reiterated its demand for a formal apology from Pakistan for the 1971 Liberation War atrocities during a high-level meeting with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday. Dar, the most senior Pakistani leader to visit Dhaka since 2012, held talks with Bangladesh’s interim government Foreign Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain, marking a significant step in efforts to rebuild bilateral ties strained since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.
Hossain emphasized unresolved issues, including an apology for the genocide that killed an estimated 3 million Bengalis and raped 200,000–400,000 women, the repatriation of stranded Pakistani citizens, and Bangladesh’s claim to $4.3–4.52 billion in pre-1971 assets. “It would be wrong to expect 54 years of problems to be solved in a single day,” Hossain noted, stressing that both nations agreed to address historical disputes through dialogue to advance relations.
Dar, however, claimed the 1971 issues were settled twice—first in 1974 through tripartite talks involving India and later during General Pervez Musharraf’s 2002 visit, when he expressed regret for past events. Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser firmly rejected this, stating, “We certainly do not agree,” underscoring Dhaka’s insistence on a formal public apology.
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The talks culminated in one agreement and five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to boost cooperation in trade, cultural exchanges, and strategic studies. Hossain highlighted Bangladesh’s push for market access in Pakistan under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) for sectors like textiles, energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, fisheries, and IT, while Pakistan proposed energy exports to Bangladesh. Current bilateral trade remains below $1 billion annually, a figure both sides aim to increase.
Dar’s two-day visit, the first by a Pakistani foreign minister since Hina Rabbani Khar’s 2012 trip, follows a thaw in relations under Bangladesh’s interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Ties had deteriorated under Hasina’s Awami League, particularly after the 2010 trials of 1971 war collaborators, which targeted figures linked to Pakistan’s military and local groups like Jamaat-e-Islami.
On Saturday, Dar met leaders from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) at the Pakistan Embassy, discussing enhanced political and defense cooperation. NCP’s Akhtar Hossain and Jamaat’s Abdullah Muhammad Taher urged Pakistan to resolve 1971 issues to strengthen ties, reflecting public sentiment in Bangladesh, where demands for an apology remain strong.
The visit coincides with a shift in Bangladesh’s foreign policy, with cooling relations with India—previously a key ally under Hasina—and growing engagement with Pakistan. Social media posts on X highlighted the sensitivity of the issue, with users like @albd1971 emphasizing the unhealed scars of 1971 and criticizing Dar’s dismissive remarks, such as his reported suggestion to “clean your heart, let’s move forward,” as inadequate.
Critics, including a Northeast News report, argue that the interim government’s outreach to Pakistan risks whitewashing the genocide, especially as some Pakistani media outlets have called for “reclaiming” Bangladesh as revenge for 1971. Despite these tensions, both nations expressed commitment to revitalizing ties through mutual respect, with hopes of fostering regional stability via platforms like SAARC.
