IN A bilateral meeting between Bangladesh and Pakistan on August 24, both countries agreed to boost trade and commerce and collaborate in regional and global forums but differed on the unresolved issues of 1971. The visiting Pakistani deputy prime minister expressed keen interest in enhancing ties with Bangladesh, which is visibly more pronounced since the ouster of the authoritarian, pro-Indian Awami League regime. What Pakistan failed to recognise is that a renewed tie with Bangladesh would require decisively and credibly resolving the historically unsettled issues from the past that include a formal apology from Pakistan for the genocide it committed in 1971. Without directly referring to the issue, the visiting minister claimed that matters were resolved twice in the past and that Bangladesh should focus on moving forward instead of looking back and that 鈥榚ven Islam tells us to clean your heart鈥�. The remark of the visiting minister is unjust and follows the legacy of denial that Pakistan pursued in the past decades, which has been an obstacle for any productive diplomatic engagement. Bangladesh therefore rightfully rejected the claim and yet again demanded a formal apology for the atrocities perpetrated by the Pakistani occupation forces during the war of independence.
The visiting deputy prime minister of Pakistan, when claiming that the issues of 1971 have been resolved, talked about the 1974 treaty and the visit of the prime minister Pervez Musharraf in 2002. However, in reality, the issues of repatriating the stranded Pakistani in Bangladesh and the settlement of unpaid dues over pre-1971 assets and cyclone aid remained unresolved. Despite repeated calls from Bangladesh and international bodies, the government of Pakistan has taken no steps to repatriate more than 3.2 lakh stranded Pakistanis living at 27 camps in 14 districts since its independence. In April, during a foreign secretary-level meeting, Bangladesh demanded $4.52 billion in financial claims from Pakistan, covering its share of undivided Pakistan鈥檚 pre-1971 assets, including foreign aid, unpaid provident funds, and savings instruments. In the past five decades, Pakistan鈥檚 response remained persistently rhetorical and non-committal, as evidenced in the words of the visiting deputy prime minister that they will 鈥榬emain engaged on these issues鈥�.
For Pakistan to strengthen its tie with Bangladesh and contribute to the regional economic growth and security, it must reckon with the fact that the people of Bangladesh did not wage a movement against an authoritarian government backed by Delhi鈥檚 hegemon to accept the dominance of Islamabad. Pakistan should therefore truly address the historically unsettled issues and consider officially issuing a letter of apology for the genocide it committed in 1971. Conscientious sections of the society should remain vigilant so that the government or any other political forces cannot compromise on these issues of national significance.
