Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Hina Rabbani Khar visited Bangladesh previous week where she was asked by the hosts to apologize for 1971. Khar had invited Hasina to visit Pakistan, but she has turned the invitation down. So what kind of relationship should we pursue with Bangladesh and how can we improve the relationship?

Bangladesh prime minister shuns Pakistan summit invitation – The Express Tribune

****DHAKA: **Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has turned down an invitation to a summit in Islamabad next week, officials said on Tuesday, despite a recent olive branch from the Pakistan government.
**
“The prime minister is not going to attend the summit,” Syed Masud Khundoker, a director-general in Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, told AFP.

An official in Hasina’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the prime minister would not be joining the eight-nation summit on November 22, and said Foreign Minister Dipu Moni would instead represent Bangladesh.

Neither official explained Hasina’s decision not to attend.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani had issued the invitation to Hasina in person last Friday on a rare visit to Bangladesh by a senior Pakistani.

**Relations between the two sides remain extremely delicate with Moni asking Rabbani last week for Pakistan to apologise for war crimes committed by the army. Hasina’s government says up to three million people were killed in the conflict.
**
**The Daily Star, a Dhaka-based newspaper, said that policy advisers had told Hasina that it would be unwise to visit Pakistan unless Islamabad offered a formal apology to Dhaka for what it regards as a “genocide”.
**
Ties have been particularly strained since Hasina’s Awami League party came to power in 2009.

However Hasina did visit Pakistan in 1999 in her first stint in office, in a bid to ease escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

The summit of the D-8 group of developing nations in Islamabad is due to include representatives from six other nations, including Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria and Turkey.

The meeting begins on November 19 with leaders due to attend its finale on November 22.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

Civilised people do not take that long to express their remorse over their mistakes. Pakistan has regretted the conflict at the highest level but has always stopped short of extending a formal apology. While Hasina Wajid's rants and her obsession are understandable given her paternal background, still it won't be unwise to do the needful.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

We should also wait for an apology for the disgusting massacres Mukhti bhani committed against non-Bengalis

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

I think our relationship with Bangladesh can wait for some time. We need to focus more on ourselves and improve relationships with our immediate neighbours plus Russia. Once Pakistan comes out of the current crisis, I believe the relationships with other countries will also improve.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

I agree. Putting our own house in order should be our top priority. An economically stable Pakistan will appear to have less faults and more attraction.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

It does not take a whole lot to just apologize and move on, may be we can win BD over and they will start supporting us in various issues. Mukti Bahini was a reactionary IMO, it was W Pakistan to do the wrong first.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

Sheikh Haseena is playing politics, Gen. Musharraf did say "sorry" in Dhaka I don't know what else Bangladesh is looking for. From the last few years be it cricket or diplomacy Bangladesh is leaning towards India a potentially negative sign for Pakistan.

Last year Bangladesh was the the only country in the world to oppose Pakistan in eliminating WTO textile duties.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

^ Musharraf had only regretted the bloody incidents of 1971 when he was in Dhaka. A formal apology was never made by Pakistan.

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"Musharaf had expressed his regrets twice during his stay in the Bangladesh capital which was welcomed by the then prime minister Khalida Zia. However Awami League did not consider it sufficient and maintained that Musharraf should have specifically asked for apology.

Gen Musharraf visited a war memorial at Savar, near capital Dhaka and left a handwritten note in the visitors’ booth. “Your brothers and sisters in Pakistan share the pain of the events in 1971. The excesses committed during the unfortunate period are regretted. Let us bury the past in the spirit of magnanimity. Let not the light of the future be dimmed”. Later he repeated his regrets at an official banquet in Dhaka."
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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

What Musharraf did was enough.

And no Captain, you can't just brush off Mukthi Bhani's terrorism like that. Sure W.Pak was wrong, no question, but just like Taliban have no right to murder innocents in reaction, it also did not give Multi Bhani the license to maul innocents. Apology from BD as well please.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

  1. Was Mukti Bahni state sponsored?
  2. Was Mukti Bahni the first one to initiate the freedom (refusal to hand power to E Pakistan)?

When you massacre people, to reconcile you don't just say "regret", you apologize or pay "diyat" that is Islamic way of doing it... so I believe we should atleast apologize... not just 'regret'.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

[QUOTE]
1. Was Mukti Bahni state sponsored?
2. Was Mukti Bahni the first one to initiate the freedom (refusal to hand power to E Pakistan)?
[/QUOTE]

A lot of Mukthi Bhani people ended up in the resulting free BD government and Mukthi Bhani had massive widespread support and was involved in direct fighting so yes it could be called state sponsored even though BD did not exist. Fact. Those same people killed innocents mercilessly. Fact. State sponsored or not state sponsored, killing is killing.

Musharaf did enough, BD should get over it.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

Pakistan needs to win over BanglaDesh.

It has the bigger burden of responsibility since BanglaDeshis consider themselves the aggrieved party.

Pakistan needs to make the first move by offering a formal apology to the satisfaction of BanglaDeshi people, while not getting into the debate of numbers of deaths in 1971, at this point.

Once that is done, then maybe BanglaDesh will also feel like apologizing for Mukti Bahini.

We need to approach this by thinking of BenglaDeshis as our long-lost brothers and our former compatriots, and not as some paraayah.

I propose to add a section for East Pakistan in the Pakistan Memorial in Islamabad. :)

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

[QUOTE]
I vote to add a section for East Pakistan in the Pakistan Memorial in Islamabad.
[/QUOTE]

Absolutely, lets add a memorial of a country that colluded with India and stabbed us in the back.

What W.Pakistan did was disgraceful but I am sorry memorial thing is the same.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

:hehe: Relax, Shak bhai. Not all Bengalis did. Will you feel the same way about Baloch if God forbid, something like this happens there ?

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

and these are the people claiming to be offended by atrocities in kashmir? when the sum total of all killings in kashmir over 65 years and more happened in a few months in a pogrom fashion.

in 1965 the bengalis fought india alongside the west. in 6 years they went into collusion with their enemies and turned backstabbers just like that? some of you people are so delusional.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

I apologise TS, my tone wasn't meant to be harsh!

I agree with the overall sentiment, but I think BOTH sides need to move on. Personally Musharaaf did enough. For me ''regret'' is the same as apology. Haseena needs to grow up and move on though.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

Whats past is past. Our nation and leadership has not learnt lessons from it fully but still no point in living in the past. Musharraf did the right thing and regretted. Apology bhi deni hai tu de do first rebuild yourself as well as rebuild some ties with BD.

I am telling you, Bangladesh's freedom would give them extra joy nowadays seeing Pakistan in the condition it is in!

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

Pretty much.

If you had read properly, I had called W.Pakistan disgraceful for our conduct. Killing whoever does it is wrong. But so were Bengalis. Just like Taliban are filth for killing innocents, so were M.Bhani.

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Re: Bangladesh - Pakistan Relationship

Nail on head.

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