Pakistan yet to learn from 1971 defeat.., now behind new game in Bangladesh with help of…, threat for India due to…
Pakistan-Bangladesh relations: Bangladesh has witnessed a seismic foreign policy shift since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last as Dhaka has adopted an anti-India stance, and moved closer to New Delhi’s rivals China and Pakistan. On April 17, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived Dhaka for the first foreign secretary-level talks in between the two countries in 15 years, and discussed several bilateral issues, including trade, economic cooperation, regional matters and historically unresolved disputes.
Baloch also met Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, but the details of the meeting have not been made public by Dhaka.
Bangladesh demands public apology from Pakistan
Notably, Bangladesh has demanded a public apology from Pakistan for the atrocities and war crimes committed by the Pakistani army during the 1971 Liberation War, and $4.52 billion in compensation as part of its pre-1971 assets in undivided Pakistan. Other issues included the return of stranded Pakistanis and the transfer of foreign aid funds related to the 1970 cyclone, Bangladeshi media reports said.
According to reports, Bangladesh has urged Pakistan to resolve these longstanding issues at the earliest so that a solid foundation could be laid for future bilateral ties between the two countries. But, while Islamabad has acknowledged these outstanding issues, it has not publicly committed to Dhaka’s demands.
Later this month, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh later this month, which will be the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Dhaka since 2012.
Pakistan-Bangladesh relations: A brief history
Since coming to the helm after the fall of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has made efforts to rekindle bilateral ties with Pakistan even as a major portion of the country’s population still carries the painful memories of the atrocities committed by Pakistani forces during 1971 war.
As per various estimates, more than 30 lakh Bangladeshis lost their lives in the 1971 war, but after the country’s independence, its founding fathers, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina’s father and the country’s first president, tried to balance relations with Pakistan, that included attending the 1974 summit of the Islamic Organization in Lahore.
However, the Pakistan-Bangladesh relations deteriorated after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, which was followed by a long period of turbulence and instability in Bangladeshi politics.
Trials were war crimes were held during the Sheikh Hasina regime, and prominent leaders like Jamaat-e-Islami leader Motiur Rahman Nizami, were convicted and hanged in 2016. Nizami’s execution was severely condemned by Pakistan, leading to further tensions in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations.
Islamabad viewed Sheikh Hasina as an India-leaning leader and Pakistan-Bangladesh relations remained on ice during her tenure between 2009-2024. But after Hasina’s ouster, the interim government in Dhaka, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, made definitive moves to rebuild ties with Islamabad, including giving a free hand to radical Islamist elements, such as the Pakistan-backed Jamaat.
Yunus and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have met twice since August last year, and bilateral trade has resumed between Pakistan and Bangladesh for the first time since 1971.
China’s role in rebuilding Pakistan-Bangladesh relations
Meanwhile, China, Pakistan’s “all-weather ally” has played a pivotal role in restoring Pakistan-Bangladesh relations, with Beijing pushing for a trilateral alliance with Dhaka and Islamabad, which is a major cause of concern for India.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have also built military ties, with a Bangladeshi military delegation led by Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan visiting Pakistan in January, and a week later, a delegation of ISI officials, Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, arriving in Bangladesh.
Additionally, Bangladesh has also expressed interest in purchasing the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet developed by Pakistan and China, to bolster its air power.
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