Bilateral talks concluded between Pakistan and Bangladesh after a gap of 15 years. In the meeting held in Dhaka on Thursday, Bangladesh raised “historically unresolved issues” and demanded a public apology from Pakistan over the 1971 atrocities. Dhaka also asked Islamabad to pay USD4.3 billion as its share from the combined assets of the two countries before East Pakistan split from West Pakistan in 1971 to form independent Bangladesh.

The rare Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) meeting was attended by Bangladesh’s foreign secretary, M Jashim Uddin, and Pakistani counterpart, Aamna Baloch. These talks came days ahead of Pakistani Deputy PM and foreign minister Ishaq Das’s visit to Dhaka (on April 27 and 28th).

When asked about Pakistan’s response to the demand for an apology, Jashim Uddin said that Pakistan would like to “remain engaged” with a positive outlook to discuss the unsettled issues.

Pakistan’s Response

Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement that both sides had a “constructive and forward-looking engagement in a cordial environment where the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral relations came under discussion, including political, economic and trade relations.”

The two sides hope that direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan are launched soon and call for enhanced cooperation in sectors of agriculture, fishery, and livestock through the transfer of technology, improved breeds and experience sharing.