Pakistan was the first country to recognise Khandker Mushtaque Ahmed’s government hours after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Aug 15, 1975, suggested national media reports.
Historically, Dhaka-Islamabad relations during the several tenures of the Awami League, the party that led Bangladesh’s struggle for freedom, have never been what could be termed as “warm.”
Harun-ur-Rashid, former Bangladesh ambassador, said the Awami League has maintained “cool” relations with Pakistan, while BNP had “warm” ties.
“We have not seen high level visits between Bangladesh and Pakistan whenever the Awami League has been in power. Even the prime minister canceled her Islamabad trip,” he said.
The ambassador said the Awami League had made it clear to Islamabad that it must apologise for the 1971 massacre for better ties, which Pakistan vehemently opposed.
On August 16, 1975, now-defunct state-run newspaper The Bangladesh Times ran a front page story carrying a Reuters report which quoted the then Pakistan prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto announcing his country’s decision to recognise the new government.
The report, published in the Bangladesh Times, also said: “He (Bhutto) also appealed to the 40 nations belonging to the Islamic conference and other third world countries to recognise the new leadership of Bangladesh”.
Saudi Arabia and Sudan, two of the staunchest allies of Pakistan, also recognised Bangladesh on August 16, a day after Bangabandhu was killed.
These two countries did not sanction the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign country in 1971. Besides, the anti-liberation forces such as Jamaat-e-Islami got full backing from the Sheikhdom.
The United States and the United Kingdom also welcomed Khandker Mushtaque who became the head of state after Bangabandhu’s assassination.
On August 16, 1975, the same newspaper published another Reuters story, filed from Washington, captioned: “US ready for normal ties.”
“‘The United States is prepared to conduct normal diplomatic business with the new government in Bangladesh,’ State Department said Today (August 15),” the Times story read.
“But a State Department spokesman said that theUSembassy there was not contacted by new rulers in the hours immediately following the takeover.”
“When we are approached, I feel sure US will be prepared to conduct normal business with them.”
The spokesperson said their embassy was reporting that the situation in Dacca (Dhaka) was calm and that all 820 Americans were safe, according to the report.
Another Reuters story, datelined London, said: “Britain today (Monday August 18) recognised the new government of Bangladesh.” The story was published in all the four newspapers of Bangladesh on August 19, 1975.
According to reports filed by the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), New Delhi termed the killings “an internal affair” of Bangladesh and that it was “carefully studying the recent events in Bangladesh and watching the developments.”
“We cannot remain unaffected by the political developments in a neighbouring country. But these are internal matters of Bangladesh”, said a report published in The Bangladesh Times and the daily Ittefaq on August 19.
The BSS report cited an official of the Indian government who said India wished for cooperation and friendship among the countries in the sub-continent.
“We shall continue to strive for achievement of friendship with the neighbouring countries”, the report said.