In First Talks With Pakistan In 15 Years, Bangladesh Demands Public Apology For 1971 Atrocities

Last Updated:April 18, 2025, 08:24 IST

The talks come amid a thaw between the two countries after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August last year.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin (R) with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch | AP Image

Bangladesh raised the “historically unresolved issues" with Pakistan and sought a public apology over the 1971 atrocities during their first foreign secretary-level talks in 15 years held in Dhaka.

Dhaka also demanded that Pakistan pay USD 4.3 billion as its share of the combined assets from the time of the 1971 separation when East Pakistan became an independent nation.

The Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) between Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin and his Pakistani counterpart Amna Baloch came just days ahead of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s scheduled visit to Dhaka on April 27 and 28.

“We have raised the historically unresolved issues with Pakistan," said Uddin after the FOC, adding that 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," the Bangladesh foreign secretary said. These issues needed to be resolved to have a “solid foundation of our relations" for mutual benefits and interests, he added.

When asked about Pakistan’s response to the demand, Uddin said they expressed a desire to “remain engaged" with a positive outlook and discuss the unresolved issue in the future.

After the talks, held at the state guest house Padma, Baloch called on Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain separately.

Notably, the talks come amid a thaw between the two countries after the ouster of 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 in quoting the amounts, the foreign secretary said the issue was just tabled during the FOC and the details are expected to come up during the subsequent talks.

The foreign secretary said the FOC fixed April 27 and 28 for Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s planned Bangladesh visit.

When asked if Dhaka was now leaning towards Islamabad compared to its perceived tilt towards New Delhi earlier, Uddin said, Bangladesh intended to build a relation with Pakistan on the basis of “mutual respect" and “mutual benefit", and it was not an issue of tilting towards any particular country.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

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