Bangladesh demands genocide apology from Pakistan
- Alisha Rahaman Sarkar | The Independent
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Bangladesh demands genocide apology for 1971 atrocities as talks with Pakistan resume after 15 years. Foreign secretary says he raised historically ‘unsettled issues’ with Pakistan.
Bangladesh has demanded a formal apology from Pakistan for the genocide committed against Bangladeshis, as both countries resumed talks after 15 years.
Foreign ministry officials from Bangladesh’s interim government and Pakistan met in Dhaka on Thursday, as the Muhammad Yunusadministration pushes to ease strained relations between the two nations.
The two nations have seen a drastic improvement in bilateral relations since the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Mr Yunus, took power in Bangladesh after protests toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina last August and sent her fleeing to India.
Bangladesh was once a part of Pakistan but became independent after a nine-month war with Islamabad in 1971.
Ms Hasina’s Awami League party regularly criticised Pakistan for atrocities during the nine-month-long war, which Dhaka won with India’s help. Bangladesh claims around three million people were killed and approximately 200,000 women were raped by Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan rejects these claims and has never officially apologised.
Bangladesh’s foreign secretary, Jashim Uddin, said that during the talks, he raised historically “unsettled issues” with Pakistan, including a formal public apology for atrocities committed by Pakistani troops in 1971 during Bangladesh’s war of independence.
Dhaka has also demanded $4.52bn from Pakistan as its share of pre-1971 assets, which include foreign aid, unpaid provident funds, savings instruments, and $200m given by international donors for the 1970 cyclone that killed between 300,000 and 500,000 people.
“These issues need to be resolved for having a solid foundation of our relations,” Mr Uddin told reporters on Thursday. The two sides also discussed the expansion of trade and commerce and increasing cooperation in agriculture and other sectors, he added.
Dr Yunus’s office said in a statement late Thursday that he held a separate meeting with the Pakistani foreign secretary and emphasised “strengthening ties 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 Pakistan’s foreign secretary, Amna Baloch.
The last such consultation between the two countries was held in Islamabad in 2010, after Ms Hasina came to power in the 2008 election with a landslide victory.
Earlier in February, both countries resumed direct trade after over 50 years.
Dhaka has also simplified the visa process for Pakistanis to further strengthen economic relations, and the interim government has removed the requirement for clearance from Dhaka for Pakistani heads of missions to obtain visas.
The strengthening of ties comes as Bangladesh’s relations with India have become increasingly tense. Bangladesh’s interim leader has criticised India for sheltering Ms Hasina in the country and has sought her extradition, with no positive response from India.
Earlier this month, India cancelled a transhipment facility that allowed Bangladesh to export its primarily garment products to third countries using Indian airports and other Indian infrastructure.
The move is expected to impact Bangladesh’s roughly $39bn annual ready-made garment exports by increasing trade costs with the European Union, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest garment producer after China.
New Delhi and Dhaka have accused each other of failing to protect minorities in their respective countries in an ever-escalating dispute.
The Independent 2025