Bangladesh and Pakistan Push to Resolve Historical Disputes

Bangladesh has raised unresolved issues with Pakistan, including a formal apology for the 1971 war atrocities and financial claims. Discussions between the two nations highlighted the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, equitable distribution of pre-1971 assets, and potential new collaborations. Key diplomatic visits are planned to further these talks.

Bangladesh on Thursday reiterated its stance on long-standing, unresolved issues with Pakistan, seeking a formal apology for the atrocities inflicted during the 1971 War of Liberation. The war, marked by Operation Searchlight, saw the Pakistani army's brutal actions, including the killing of an approximated three million Bengalis and the systemic rape of over one million women.

The talks also centered around pending financial claims, with Bangladesh demanding USD 4.32 billion, encompassing its rightful share of undivided Pakistan's pre-1971 assets. This includes unallocated foreign aid meant for 1970 cyclone victims and the repatriation of over 300,000 Pakistanis stranded in camps since the war, who have refused Bangladeshi citizenship, wishing instead to return to Pakistan.

Bangladesh highlighted that resolving these issues is pivotal for the relations between the two nations. This was emphasized during the Foreign Office Consultations held at the State Guest House, Padma, with Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch leading their respective delegations. Both parties expressed the desire to leverage intra-regional markets and strengthen bilateral ties, ahead of an upcoming visit by Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

(With inputs from agencies.)