Bangladesh has reiterated its longstanding demand for Pakistan to formally apologise for the genocide committed during the 1971 Liberation War, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the interim government Md. Touhid Hossain said on Sunday.
The remarks came after a meeting with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is on an official visit to Dhaka aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation.
Hossain told reporters that Bangladesh expects Islamabad to issue an apology, repatriate those still stranded in Bangladesh, and provide compensation for the devastation caused during the war.
Despite these unresolved issues, Dhaka and Islamabad signed one agreement and five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering a wide range of cooperation, including trade, pharmaceuticals, and energy.
Touhid Hossain noted that relations had long been stalled but efforts were now underway to normalise ties, highlighting Bangladesh’s request for trade privileges under SAFTA.
Dar, however, maintained that the question of a 1971 apology had already been settled– first through the 1974 Shimla Agreement and later by former President Pervez Musharraf during his visit to Dhaka.
“The matter was resolved twice,” he insisted, describing the Shimla accord as “historic.”
The Pakistani minister arrived in Dhaka on Saturday and held meetings with political leaders including those from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP.
On Sunday, he joined bilateral talks with Touhid Adviser Hossain at Hotel Sonargaon, where both sides signed one agreement, four MoUs, and one cooperation programme.
Senior Bangladeshi officials, including Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, attended the meeting.
Both governments underscored a shared commitment to move forward on issues of mutual interest while upholding respect and dignity.
