NEW DELHI
Bangladesh ought to “clean” its coronary heart and move forward by leaving the “unresolved issue” of Pakistan’s accountability within the atrocities dedicated by the Pakistani army in 1971, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, stated in Dhaka on Sunday (August 24, 2025).
Mr. Dar, the primary Foreign Minister of Pakistan to go to Bangladesh in additional than a decade, met Professor Mohammed Yunus, Chief Adviser to the federal government of Bangladesh, and met the Ameer of Jamaat-E-Islami, Shafiqur Rahman, on Sunday (August 24, 2025). Pakistan and Bangladesh additionally signed a treaty that may permit diplomats and officers of each side to journey with out visas.
“In 1974, that issue was resolved, and the document is historic and available in both countries. After that, General Musharraf came here and addressed this [issue] in a candid manner, and I think even Islam tells us to clean your hearts,” Mr. Dar stated after holding talks with the interim authorities’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossein.
The concern of accountability of Pakistan for the atrocities of 1971 has been a long-standing impediment in normalising ties. Mr. Dar not directly referred to the Tripartite Agreement of 1974 signed by Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, the place Pakistan had acknowledged the involvement of its army within the atrocities, and referred to the “regret” expressed by General Musharraf throughout his 2002 go to of Dhaka, however his hosts didn’t totally agree with the evaluation of 1971.
Mr. Hossein stated: “We want accountability, reparations. We want Pakistan to express remorse and seek forgiveness for the mass killings that took place here”. He additionally acknowledged that China is supportive of Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral ties.
“China is enthusiastic about this bilateral relationship. Pakistan is also enthusiastic about this relationship. But the earlier government willingly held back Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, and we want Bangladesh to have the same kind of relations with Pakistan in the way it maintains relation with other countries,” Mr. Hossein stated.
Mr. Dar’s go to is the primary bilateral go to by a Pakistani Foreign Minister in almost 13 years. In 2012, Hina Rabbani Khar, then Foreign Minister of Pakistan, visited Bangladesh to invite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to go to Islamabad to take part within the D-8 (Developing – 8) summit.
Both sides signed MoUs on organising a Joint Working Group on commerce and on rising cooperation between the Foreign Service Academies of each side. Separately, government-owned information companies of each side — the BSS (Bangladesh Sangbad Shansthan) and the APPC (Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation) — agreed to step up collaboration.
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Pakistan’s Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) additionally signed an MoU on cooperation. “These agreements will institutionalise and further strengthen the bilateral cooperation in trade and economics, training of diplomats, academic exchanges, media cooperation and cultural exchanges,” stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.
Pakistan additionally introduced the launch of the “Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor”, beneath which 500 college students from Bangladesh will obtain scholarships to examine in Pakistan over the following 5 years. “Additionally, training for 100 Bangladeshi civil servants will be arranged during the same period. Pakistan has also decided to increase the scholarships allocated to Bangladeshi students under Pakistan Technical Assistance Program from 5 to 25,” stated MoFA, Islamabad.
As a particular gesture, Mr. Dar visited Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-E-Islam at his residence and enquired about his well being as Mr. Rahman had a cardiac surgical procedure just lately. Later within the night, he additionally visited former Prime Minister and chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Khaleda Zia at her residence.
