Foreign secretaries of Dhaka, Islamabad meet

The last meeting at the foreign secretary level between Bangladesh and Pakistan was held in 2010

The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and Pakistan are having talks as part of an effort to strengthen the relations between the two countries after one and a half decades.

The Foreign Office Consultation (FOC), a platform for dialogue between the two countries, began around 10:30am on Thursday at the State Guest House Padma. The last such meeting was held in 2010.

Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin represented Bangladesh, while Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch is leading the Islamabad delegation.

During the 15 years of Awami League rule, relations between Dhaka and Islamabad remained largely stagnant due to issues such as the war crimes trials in Bangladesh and broader regional politics.

Following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government by a mass uprising last year and the formation of the interim government under Muhammad Yunus, efforts have been made to normalise and deepen relations with Pakistan.

The interim government's Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain has already said that Bangladesh seeks “normal relations” with Pakistan beyond past tensions.

In September last year, Chief Advisor Yunus met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where both leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral ties.

Key issues in Bangladesh-Pakistan relations have always included Pakistan’s apology for the 1971 genocide during the Liberation War, the return of stranded assets, and compensation.

Touhid emphasised that Bangladesh will not send any signal to Pakistan suggesting a willingness to move forward without addressing the 1971 issue. He reiterated that all engagements will be in line with the national interest.

Asked on Tuesday whether the issue of Pakistan’s apology for its role in 1971 came up in the Yunus-Shehbaz meeting, Touhid said: “Such sensitive issues are not raised in courtesy meetings. These will be discussed at the negotiation table.”

On whether ties with Pakistan would be pursued by sidelining the Liberation War issue, he said: “No. We have made no effort to suggest to them that we can maintain good relations by excluding 1971. We want to build better relations, and 1971 will remain part of the conversation.”

Meanwhile, freight ships have started to ply on the Dhaka-Karachi direct maritime route for the first time. Dhaka-Karachi direct flights are under discussion as well.

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Advisor Touhid have been talking about reviving SAARC [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] since the current interim government took over. They strongly urged India to come forward in this regard.

India, in response, blamed Pakistan's action for turning SAARC inactive and expressed its reluctance in reviving the platform. Rather, it told Bangladesh that Dhaka should not "turn militancy a regular phenomenon."

Following the FOC, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Dhaka on Apr 22.

When asked about these high-level visits, Touhid recently said that discussions will focus on normalising bilateral ties.