DHAKA, Aug 24: During the visit of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka—the highest-ranking Pakistani official to visit Bangladesh since 2012—Bangladesh raised long-pending issues stemming from the 1971 Liberation War, including demands for a formal apology, the sharing of pre-independence assets, and the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis.
Dar arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit aimed at mending bilateral ties, which had deteriorated during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. His visit comes after a major political shift in Bangladesh, following Hasina’s ouster on August 5, 2024, in a student-led uprising. The interim government, led by Chief Adviser Yunus, appears to be steering foreign relations in a new direction, especially in light of the cooling ties with India—previously Bangladesh’s closest ally under Hasina.
Dar held talks with Bangladesh’s interim Foreign Adviser M Touhid Hossain. In a press conference, Hossain confirmed that Dhaka raised unresolved historical issues, notably the lack of a formal apology from Pakistan for atrocities committed during the 1971 war, financial and asset claims, and the situation of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh. Hossain stressed that while immediate resolution is unlikely, both nations presented their views, and dialogue would continue. “It would be wrong to expect problems of 54 years to be solved in a single day,” he noted.
In response, Dar claimed that the issues related to 1971 had already been settled—first in the 1974 tripartite agreement involving India, and later through statements made by former President Pervez Musharraf during a visit to Dhaka, where Musharraf acknowledged the events with a degree of openness. However, Bangladesh has continued to seek a more formal and unequivocal apology.
During Dar’s visit, Bangladesh and Pakistan signed one agreement and five memorandums of understanding (MoUs), aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation. Both sides expressed a commitment to resolve historical issues through discussion to enable forward-looking relations.
This is not the first instance of Bangladesh raising the 1971 issues with Pakistan. In April 2025, during the first foreign secretary-level talks in 15 years, Dhaka made similar demands for the resolution of pre-independence matters and a formal apology.
Trade and economic cooperation were also discussed. Bangladesh requested improved access to Pakistani markets under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), particularly in textiles, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, fisheries, and IT. Pakistan expressed interest in exporting energy to Bangladesh. Current trade between the two countries remains modest, with annual turnover below USD 1 billion.
Dar also held meetings with leaders of various Bangladeshi political parties, including the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Jamaat-e-Islami, and the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP). Leaders of Jamaat and NCP acknowledged the need to address the unresolved 1971 issues to advance bilateral relations.
The visit signals a potential thaw in Pakistan-Bangladesh ties after years of strain, with both sides now seeking to balance historical grievances with future cooperation. (PTI)
