Dhaka, August 24 – Bangladesh on Sunday revived long-pending demands for an official apology from Pakistan over atrocities committed during the 1971 Liberation War, raising the issue directly with visiting Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Dar, the most senior Pakistani leader to visit Dhaka since 2012, arrived on Saturday for a two-day trip aimed at resetting strained ties following the ouster of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He met with Bangladesh’s interim government Foreign Adviser M. Touhid Hossain, who confirmed that sensitive historical disputes were discussed.
“We have raised unresolved issues such as an apology or expression of regret for 1971, claims over assets, and the matter of stranded Pakistani citizens,” Hossain told reporters after the talks.
The 1971 war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh, remains a deeply contentious issue between Dhaka and Islamabad. Bangladesh maintains that Pakistani forces committed widespread atrocities during the conflict, and successive governments in Dhaka have pushed for an official apology. Pakistan, however, has so far only expressed “regret” over the events, stopping short of a formal apology.
Dar’s visit is seen as a test of whether the two countries can move toward normalizing relations after years of diplomatic chill.