Dhaka, Apr. 17, (dpa/GNA) – Dhaka has demanded a formal apology from Islamabad for the atrocities committed by Pakistani military during the 1971 war, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
The demand was made during a high-level diplomatic meeting held in Dhaka on Thursday, the first such engagement between the two countries in 15 years.
In addition to the apology, Dhaka has also sought $4.52 billion in financial reparations from Islamabad, covering Bangladesh’s share of pre-independence Pakistan’s foreign reserves, unpaid provident funds for public servants, and foreign aid that remained unsettled after the country’s liberation.
“We raised the historical unsettled issues with Pakistan, including a formal public apology for the atrocities committed during the 1971 liberation war and the pending financial claims,” Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin told reporters after a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Amna Baloch.
“Pakistan has assured us of continued engagement on these matters. Resolving them is essential to laying a strong foundation for our bilateral relations,” he said.
Baloch, who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday on an official visit, did not issue any public statement during her visit.
During the meeting, Dhaka also raised the issue of the repatriation of more than 324,000 stranded Pakistanis — mostly known as “Biharis” — who remain in refugee camps in Bangladesh over five decades after the war.
Bangladesh estimates that the nine-month conflict resulted in the deaths of approximately 3 million people.
GNA
PDC