Bangladesh on Thursday raised historical unsettled issues with Pakistan, including a formal public apology for the atrocities committed against Bangladesh during the 1971 War of Liberation by the Pakistan forces.
They further demanded the repayment of $4.5 billion owed to Bangladesh and the repatriation of over 300,000 stranded Pakistanis.
“These issues need to be resolved to establish a solid foundation for our bilateral relations,” said Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin while speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladesh sees a willingness from Pakistan to remain engaged on pending issues, as formal talks between Dhaka and Islamabad resumed after a 15-year hiatus.
When asked about Pakistan’s response during the discussions, the foreign secretary said they assured Bangladesh of their continued engagement.
“They expressed their interest to remain engaged. Our objective was to raise the key issues,” he noted.
Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin also announced that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, is scheduled to visit Bangladesh on April 27–28.
He expressed hope that direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan would be launched soon.
The Foreign Secretary said Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain separately and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Earlier, Bangladesh and Pakistan held Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) at the State Guesthouse Padma, as both South Asian nations seek to strengthen bilateral ties.
Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch led their respective delegations during the consultations.
This marked the first FOC between the two countries since 2010.
Also present at the meeting were Ishrat Jahan, director general of the South Asia Wing at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), as well as the high commissioners of both countries.
Pakistan had proposed holding the consultations as part of Islamabad’s efforts to enhance its relationship with Dhaka.
Ishaq Dar’s upcoming visit will be the first by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Bangladesh since 2012.
