Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser, Touhid Hossain, has rejected Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s claim that the 1971 issues, including the genocide apology, have been resolved twice.
Hossain stressed that such complex matters, which have persisted for over five decades, cannot be resolved in a single conversation.
Speaking after his bilateral talks with Dar at Dhaka’s Hotel Sonargaon, Hossain remarked, “Fifty-four years of unresolved issues cannot be settled in one day. All these matters will be addressed in future discussions.”
Dar had earlier argued that the issues of 1971 were resolved on two separate occasions—first in 1974 through a tripartite agreement and again in the early 2000s during former President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Bangladesh.
While Dar suggested that both nations should now focus on strengthening economic and trade ties, Hossain emphasized that important matters, such as an official apology, the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, and compensation for wartime damages, remain unresolved.
He clarified that these topics would be brought up for further dialogue between the two nations.
The discussions also touched on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade. Dar, who arrived in Dhaka on Saturday for a two-day visit, is scheduled to meet with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin during his stay.