Khairul Alam: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, during his recent visit to Bangladesh, claimed that the unresolved issues, including an apology for the 1971 genocide, have been resolved twice.
However, since the victory of the Liberation War in 1971, three major issues have remained unsettled between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
These are: Pakistan’s formal and state-level apology for the 1971 genocide, the trial of the 195 identified Pakistani war criminals, and the fair repatriation of Bangladesh’s rightful share of common assets.
Dar mentioned 1974 as the first time these issues were resolved, referring to the tripartite agreement signed by Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. This written agreement was primarily concerned with the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners of war and Bangladeshis stranded in Pakistan.
Under this agreement, signed on April 9, 1974, Bangladesh released the 195 war criminals. However, Bangladesh’s core demands were not fulfilled.
After the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh, discussions with Pakistan included a commitment to try the war criminals based on the list provided by Bangladesh.
But the Pakistani government never did so. The apology from Pakistan also doesn’t seem to have been a formal, state-level one as it should have been.
If the issues had been resolved through the 1974 agreement and the apology in 2000, Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary, Md. Jasimuddin, would not have raised these matters with Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Ms. Baluch, a few months ago under the interim government.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser was right to state that the issue of Bangladesh’s fair share of common assets remains unresolved. We hope that a swift process will begin to settle these three issues. Bangladesh should seek an acceptable resolution for them.