In New Bonhomie With Pak, Bangladesh Calls For A Reset, With An Apology

More than five decades since the Bangladesh Liberation War, Dhaka appears to be pursuing closer ties with Pakistan, with riders.

In New Bonhomie With Pak, Bangladesh Calls For A Reset, With An Apology
Muhammad Yunus has called for "stronger ties with Pakistan".

In 1971, during the struggle for the liberation of what was then East Pakistan, the Pakistani Army was responsible for widespread atrocities in present-day Bangladesh, including violence against civilians and human rights violations. These events unfolded with little accountability, and Bangladesh has yet to receive an official apology. With crucial support from India, Bangladesh achieved independence and emerged from the shadow of military oppression. More than five decades later, Dhaka appears to be pursuing closer ties with Pakistan, with riders.

Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, has called for "stronger ties with Pakistan" after meeting with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch. Baloch held meetings with her Bangladeshi counterpart, Md Jashim Uddin, as part of the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) between the two countries, the first in 15 years. Amna Baloch's visit comes just days ahead of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Dhaka on April 27 and 28.

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"Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday emphasised strengthening ties with Pakistan to boost mutual cooperation and explore trade and business potentials. The Chief Adviser made the call when Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna," Bangladesh said in a statement.

"There are certain hurdles. We have to find ways to overcome those and move forward," the Chief Adviser told Baloch, who led the Pakistani side in the Foreign Secretary-level bilateral consultations.

Those hurdles include accountability and an apology for the mass killings during the 1971 liberation struggle, and the payment of dues owed to Bangladesh from reserves, amounting to almost $4.5 billion. "We have raised the historically unresolved issues with Pakistan," Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin told reporters in a briefing. He 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".

Pakistan has made no commitment to address these demands, but ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan seem to be improving and Pakistan is working to claw its way back to a larger role in Bangladesh.

In recent times, Bangladesh is perceived as drifting away from India and leaning towards stronger ties with China and Pakistan. Yunus's comment on India's northeast led to a sharp rebuttal, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering a strong message to the Chief Adviser. The Prime Minister raised India's concerns about the safety of minorities in the neighbouring country with the Bangladeshi leader. He also advised Dhaka to avoid "rhetoric that vitiates the environment", weeks after Mr Yunus's remarks on the Northeast drew strong reactions from Indian leaders. During a visit to China, Md Yunus had said: "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean." He added that Bangladesh is the "guardian of the ocean" for the region. "This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension for the Chinese economy," he said, making a pitch for China to extend its presence in the region.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin, however, struck a more cautious tone when describing Bangladesh's diplomatic inclinations. When asked if Dhaka was now gravitating towards Islamabad compared to its earlier perceived tilt towards New Delhi, Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh intended to build a relationship with Pakistan based on "mutual respect" and "mutual benefit", and that it was not a matter of aligning with any particular country.

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