Bangladesh has dismissed Pakistan’s claim that the unresolved issues of 1971, including an apology for atrocities and genocide committed by Pakistan’s military during the Liberation War, have already been settled.
The interim government’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md. Touhid Hossain, articulated Dhaka’s position.
On Sunday, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, told reporters in Dhaka that the 1971 unresolved issues had been addressed twice.
He made the remarks after bilateral talks with Touhid Hossain at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, ahead of a luncheon.
According to Dar, the matters were first resolved in 1974, with the resulting documents considered historic for both countries.
He added that the second resolution occurred in early 2000 when then-Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf visited Bangladesh and addressed the issues “openly and publicly.”
When asked whether Bangladesh agreed with Pakistan’s claim, Adviser Touhid Hossain firmly replied, “Absolutely not.” He emphasized that the 1971 unresolved issues remain on the table and that both sides have agreed to continue discussions on them.
Bangladesh has repeatedly raised demands for an unconditional apology from Pakistan for the 1971 genocide, compensation for war damages, the settlement of pre-war assets, and the repatriation of stranded Pakistani citizens.
