Bangladesh-Pakistan bilateral ties will improve further if Islamabad apologises for the 1971 atrocities, says foreign adviser Touhid Hossain.
Thousands of unarmed Bangladeshis were massacred by the Pakistani forces on the night of Mar 25, 1971. During the Liberation War, an estimated 30 lakh people were killed by the Pakistanis and their local collaborators
At a regular briefing in Dhaka on Tuesday (October 1), he also slammed Indian leaders for their controversial remarks about Bangladesh.
The Pakistani occupation army committed genocide in Bangladesh under its infamous "Operation Searchlight" to prevent the Awami League from assuming office after its stunning victory in the 1970 elections.
Bangalees took up arms and fought an exceptionally bloody war against the occupation forces over the next nine months that claimed three million lives, according to the government. Bangladesh stepped up efforts to get international recognition of the genocide and has been repeatedly calling on Islamabad to recognise the facts and offer a formal apology for improving ties.
Bilateral relations remained strained during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule that ended abruptly on August 5. After the Dr Yunus-led interim government took charge, Islamabad reached out to thaw the frosty ties. Dr Yunus held a bilateral meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UNGA.
