MM Rahmatullah: Bangladesh wants stronger ties with Islamabad, said Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin.
“We have raised the historically unresolved issues with Pakistan,” foreign secretary told in a media briefing after a foreign office consultation (FOC) with his visiting Pakistan counterpart Amna Baloch.
He said the issues included “the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, equitable distribution of undivided assets, transfer of foreign aid funds sent for the victims of the 1970 cyclone, and a formal public apology for the genocide committed by the then Pakistani military in 1971”.
“We said this is the right time to settle the historical unsettled issues,” the Bangladesh foreign secretary said adding these issues were needed to be resolved for having a “solid foundation of our relations” for mutual benefits and interests.
Asked what was Pakistani sides response to the call, Jashim Uddin “they like to remain engaged” with a positive outlook to discuss the unsettled issue in future.
This was the first foreign secretary level Dhaka-Islamabad FOC in 15 years and after the talks the visiting Pakistani foreign secretary called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain separately and discussed issues of mutual interests.
The two top bureaucrats of foreign ministries of the two countries led their respective delegations at the talks held at the state guest of Padma.
According to the foreign secretary, Dhaka asked Pakistan to pay Bangladesh US$4.3 billion as the share of common pre-independence asset as well as unpaid US$200 million foreign donation for victims of the then East Pakistan after the 1970’s cyclone.
Asked if the money devaluation over the decades was taken into consideration in quoting the amounts, the foreign secretary said the issue of just tabled during the FOC and the details were expected come up during the subsequent talks. A reporter asked the foreign secretary if Dhaka was currently leaning towards Pakistan as it was being said Bangladesh was tilted towards New Delhi in the past.
In reply, Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh intended to build a relation with Pakistan on the basis of “mutual respect” and “mutual benefit” and not an issue of tilting towards a particular country.
The foreign secretary said the FOC fixed April 27 and 28 for Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s planned Bangladesh visit.
The two sides hoped that direct flight between Bangladesh and Pakistan will be launched soon.
Director General of South Asia Wing at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Ishrat Jahan and High Commissioners of Bangladesh and Pakistan also attended the meeting, among other concerned officials.
“We believe comprehensive discussions held yesterday on bilateral, regional, and global issues will help move our cooperation forward and contribute to resolving priority concerns through mutual goodwill and consensus,” the Bangladesh foreign secretary said.
He said Dhaka placed high importance on advancing ties with all neighbouring countries in line with its foreign policy objectives while Pakistan was one of Bangladesh’s key neighbours in South Asia.
“In this context, both delegations agreed to work together to further advance the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan in the coming days,” he added.
Jashim said Dhaka underscored the importance of strengthening economic and trade relations with Islamabad.
“We stressed the need for enhanced market access for Bangladeshi products in Pakistan, simplifying trade procedures, removing tariff barriers, and boosting Pakistani investment in Bangladesh,” he said. The two sides also discussed enhancing cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock through the transfer of technology, improved breeds, and experience-sharing to boost productivity.
The foreign secretary noted that both parties emphasized the need to exchange knowledge and best practices to combat climate change and mitigate the impact of floods.
He said improving connectivity between the two countries featured prominently in the discussions.
“A direct shipping route has recently been launched between Bangladesh and Pakistan. We also discussed the resumption of direct air connectivity to strengthen people-to-people contact and expand trade opportunities,” he said. He informed that Bangladesh already approved operations of a Pakistani private carrier, Fly Jinnah, while another airline—Air Sial, based in Sialkot—has applied for permission to launch direct flights.
The foreign secretary said both sides expressed interest in expanding collaboration in higher education and scientific research.
“There was also discussion on strengthening cultural and sports ties. Both parties encouraged cultural exchanges through visits by artists, musicians, writers, academics, and other professionals,” he added.
Jasim Uddin said Dhaka reiterated the importance of regional cooperation under the SAARC framework and called for its revitalization to ensure stability, connectivity, and development in South Asia.
He further reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to the objectives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Charter and its determination to work in the interest of the Muslim Ummah.
On the Middle East situation, the foreign secretary said both countries strongly condemned the ongoing genocide and gross human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza.
Bangladesh also sought Pakistan’s support for the safe and voluntary repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh to their homeland in Myanmar, foreign secretary added.
