Dhaka:
Bangladesh raised “historically unresolved issues” and apologized to Pakistan on the 1971 atrocities, as the two countries held their first Foreign Secretary-level talks in 15 years here on Thursday.
Dhaka asked Pakistan to pay a 4.3 billion USD as its stake with joint assets at the time when East Pakistan separated from Pakistan to form an independent Bangladesh in 1971. The Foreign Office Counseling (FOC) between Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Jashim Udin, along with his Pakistani counterpart Amna Baluch, is held by Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar before Dhaka’s visit on 27 and 28 April.
“We have historically raised unresolved issues with Pakistan,” Udin told reporters after SOC.
He said that issues include “repatriation of trapped Pakistanis, justice of undivided distribution of undivided assets, transfer of foreign aid funds sent to the victims of the 1970s, and a formal public waiver for the massacre by the then Pakistani Army in 1971”.
The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh said, “We said that it is the right time to settle historical indefinite issues,” It is to add these issues required to solve these issues to be “solid basis of our relationship” for mutual benefits and interests.
Asked what was the reaction of the Pakistani side to the call, Udin said that they want to “stay busy” with a positive attitude to discuss the uncertain issue in the future.
Following talks held at the state guest house Padma, Baloch called separate advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh and Tauhid Hussain, advisor to foreign affairs, separately.
After Sheikh Hasina was out in August last year, there was a conversation between the two countries between a melting.
The interim government headed by Yuns plays the role of Hasina’s father Mujibur Rahman in Bangladesh’s liberation in 1971. The Indian Army took over more than 90,000 Pakistan soldiers as prisoners in that war.
According to the Foreign Secretary, Dhaka asked Pakistan to pay unpaid USD for 200 million foreign donations for the victims of the then East Pakistan after the 1970 cyclone.
Asked whether the devotion of money was taken into consideration in the quotation of the devaluation amount for decades, the Foreign Secretary said that the issue was presented only during FOC and the details are expected to come during the subsequent talks.
The Foreign Secretary said that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Ishaq Dar has been decided on 27 April and 28 April for the planned Bangladesh visit.
Asked if Dhaka was now leaning towards Islamabad compared to his alleged inclination towards New Delhi, Udin said, Bangladesh intended to form a relationship with Pakistan on “mutual honor” and “mutual gains”, and was not the issue of bending to a particular country. “
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)