B'desh, Pak hold first foreign secretary-level talks in 15 years; Dhaka seeks public apology for 1971 atrocities

Dhaka | Bangladesh on Thursday raised "historically unresolved issues" and demanded a public apology from Pakistan over the 1971 atrocities as the two countries held their first foreign secretary-level talks in 15 years here.

Dhaka also asked Islamabad to pay USD 4.3 billion as its share from the combined assets at the time when East Pakistan split from West Pakistan in 1971 to form an independent Bangladesh.

"We have raised the historically unresolved issues with Pakistan," Bangladesh Foreign Secretary M Jashim Uddin told reporters after the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) meeting with Pakistani counterpart Amna Baloch held at state guest house Padma.

Their talks came days ahead of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Dhaka on April 27 and 28.

Jashim Uddin said the issues included "the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, equitable distribution of undivided assets, transfer of foreign aid funds sent for the victims of the 1970 cyclone, and a formal public apology for the genocide committed by the then Pakistani military in 1971”.

"We said this is the right time to settle the historical unsettled issues,” he said, adding these issues needed to be resolved to have a “solid foundation of our relations" for mutual benefits and interests.

Asked about Pakistan's response to the call, Jashim Uddin said they would like to "remain engaged" with a positive outlook to discuss the unsettled issue in future.

In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office said that both sides had a "constructive and forward-looking engagement in a cordial environment where the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral relations came under discussion, including political, economic and trade relations".

It added that cooperation in agriculture, environment and education, cultural exchanges and defence relations were also discussed and new avenues of cooperation were explored by the two sides.

Later, Baloch called on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain separately.

Yunus emphasised strengthening relations with Pakistan to boost mutual cooperation and explore trade and business potentials.

"There are certain hurdles. We have to find ways to overcome those and move forward," he told Baloch.

Acknowledging past issues, Baloch said Bangladesh and Pakistan must find ways to “harness the potentials between the two countries."

"We kept missing each other for a long time as our relationship was frozen. We have to overcome the barriers,” Yunus said as he recalled his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA in September last year and in Cairo on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in December.

Baloch later called on Advisor on Foreign Affairs MD. Touhid Hossain and discussed regional issues, including revival of SAARC and trade and economic relations between the two countries, the Pakistani Foreign office said.

The foreign secretary-level talks come amid a thaw between the two countries after the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year.

The Yunus-led interim government appears to be playing down the role of Hasina's father Mujibur Rehman in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. The Indian Army took over 90,000 Pakistani soldiers as prisoners in that war.

According to the foreign secretary, Dhaka also asked Pakistan to pay the unpaid USD 200 million foreign donations for victims of the then East Pakistan after the 1970s cyclone.

Asked if the money devaluation over the decades was taken into consideration, he said the issue was just tabled during the FOC and the details are expected to come up during the subsequent talks.

Jashim Uddin said Dhaka also underscored the importance of strengthening economic and trade relations with Islamabad.

“We stressed the need for enhanced market access for Bangladeshi products in Pakistan, simplifying trade procedures, removing tariff barriers, and boosting Pakistani investment in Bangladesh,” he said.

The two sides also discussed enhancing cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock through the transfer of technology, improved breeds, and experience-sharing to boost productivity.

The two sides hoped that direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan would be launched soon.

Jasim Uddin said Dhaka reiterated the importance of regional cooperation under the SAARC framework and called for its revitalization to ensure stability, connectivity, and development in South Asia.

When asked if Dhaka was leaning towards Pakistan as it was being said Bangladesh was tilted towards New Delhi in the past, Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh intended to build relations with Pakistan based on “mutual respect” and “mutual benefit” and not an issue of tilting towards a particular country.

"We believe comprehensive discussions held today on bilateral, regional, and global issues will help move our cooperation forward and contribute to resolving priority concerns through mutual goodwill and consensus,” he said.