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OPINION SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 | The Indian Eye 11
Commission in Dhaka, during which
he underlined Pakistan’s “strong
desire to forge a cooperative and
forward-looking relationship with
Bangladesh”. He also discussed the
commonality of views on several
regional and international issues,
including the revival of the South
Asian Association of Regional Co-
operation (SAARC).
During his stay in Dhaka, Dar
tried to tick as many boxes as possi-
ble. Besides meeting the Chief Advi-
sor Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Ad-
visor Touhid Hossain and Commerce
Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin, he
received three separate delegations
comprising leaders of Bangladesh Ja-
maat-e-Islami, Bangladesh National-
ist Party (BNP) and the National Cit-
izen Party (NCP).
Dar also met ailing BNP Chair-
person and former Prime Minister
Khaleda Zia and visited Jamaat-e-Is-
lami Emir Dr Shafiqur Rahman at
his residence. The meetings with the The situation and circumstances in Bangladesh have changed a lot since the ouster and exile of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 and a ban on the
BNP Chairperson and the Jamaat Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act in May 2025 (File photo)
Emir were more than ‘courtesy’ calls.
These, in fact, were intended to re-
vive the old linkages with pro-Paki- Foreign Service Academy of Ban- ic for both countries. Later, Gen- of pre-1971 assets.
stan forces in Bangladesh in a com- gladesh. eral Pervez Musharraf came here The bilateral relations between
pletely changed political scenario in • An MoU between the Associated and publicly and openly addressed the two countries may have been wit-
the country. Both the BNP and Ja- Press of Pakistan and the Bangla- the matter. So, it has been settled nessing some warmth in a completely
maat are historically known for their desh Sangbad Sangstha. twice—once in 1974, and again in the changed political situation at home
pro-Pakistan and anti-India stance. • A Cultural Exchange Programme. early 2000s. in Bangladesh, but the ghost of 1971
It is not a coincidence that during Besides, Pakistan launched the The situation and circumstanc- still casts a shadow and a kind of un-
the Khaleda Zia government, India– ‘Pakistan–Bangladesh Knowledge es in Bangladesh have changed a lot ease in Dhaka and Islamabad. The
Bangladesh relations were strained Corridor’ to grant 500 scholarships since the ouster and exile of Sheikh people of Bangladesh have not for-
and deteriorated due to increased to Bangladeshi students to pursue Hasina in August 2024 and a ban on gotten the horrors of 1971. It would
cross-border terrorism and illegal higher studies in Pakistan. A quarter the Awami League under the An- not be easy for any government in
migration. of these fellowships will be reserved ti-Terrorism Act in May 2025, yet Bangladesh to move ahead without
During Ishaq Dar’s crucial meet- for students pursuing medicine. Pa- the people of Bangladesh are not resolving the critical issues to the sat-
ings with Muhammad Yunus, Touhid kistan’s Foreign Office also said that open to any compromise on critical isfaction of the people of Bangladesh.
Hossain and Sheikh Bashir Uddin, a 100 Bangladeshi civil servants would issues with Pakistan. This was the Dr Ashish Shukla is Associate Fellow at
wide range of issues were discussed, be trained in Pakistan for the next primary reason behind the rebuttal MP-IDSA, New Delhi. Prior to joining
including the revival of old connec- five years. of Ishaq Dar’s claims on the unset- MP-IDSA, Dr. Shukla was associated
tions, youth linkages, connectivity, There was no progress on the tled issues of 1971 by Foreign Advi- with Amity University, Noida where he
trade and economic cooperation, key unsettled legacy issues, including sor Touhid Hossain. At the Foreign taught courses in Defense & Strategic
people-to-people relations, revital- a formal unconditional apology for Service Academy in Dhaka, later in Studies. He has also been Research
ization of regional cooperation, re- crimes committed by the Pakistan the day, Touhid Hossain categorical- Fellow at Indian Council of World
juvenation of SAARC, resolution of Army, a fair division of assets and ly rejected Ishaq Dar’s claim, saying, Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi, during
Palestine and Rohingya issues, etc. repatriation of stranded Pakistanis. “I definitely do not agree. If we had March 2017-January 2021. Dr Shukla
There is a strong feeling in Dhaka agreed, the problem would have
The visit resulted in the signing of that Islamabad must apologize to the been solved.” The Daily Star on 25 has taught courses on India-Pakistan
the following agreements, MoUs and people of Bangladesh who suffered August published a strong editorial Relations to mid-level officers at the
Border Security Force (BSF) Academy,
other instruments: gravely at the hands of the Pakistan rejecting Pakistan’s unsubstantiat- Tekanpur, Gwalior, M.P.
• An agreement on Visa Abolition Army during the 1971 Liberation ed claim. The paper disagreed with
for Diplomatic and Official Pass- War. Under Sheikh Hasina, the Awa- Ishaq Dar’s assertion that the 1971 Views expressed are of the author and
port Holders. mi League apologized as a pre-con- issues were resolved. It wrote: do not necessarily reflect the views of
• An MoU on the Establishment of dition to any meaningful progress We do not know where Mr Dar the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
a Joint Working Group on Trade. and development in the bilateral re- was getting his facts from, but history Government of India.
• An MoU for Cooperation between lations. Ishaq Dar, while interacting and media reporting over the years
the Institute of Strategic Studies with journalists on 24 August in Dha- show a constant pattern of Pakistani The full version of this article first
Islamabad (ISSI) and the Bangla- ka, stated: authorities ignoring demands for an appeared in the Comments section
desh Institute of International and On the matter of unresolved is- official acknowledgement and apolo- of the website (www.idsa.in) of
Strategic Studies (BISS). sues, what I want to say is that the gy for the 1971 genocide, the repatri- Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense
• An MoU between the Foreign Ser- first settlement took place in 1974… ation of stranded Pakistanis or “Bi- Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, on
vice Academy of Pakistan and the The document of that time is histor- haris,” or Bangladesh’s rightful share September 16, 2025
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