Pakistan Dy PM Says 1971 Bangladesh Genocide Issue 'Resolved', Dhaka Seeks Apology

Last Updated:August 24, 2025, 18:16 IST

Dar visited Bangladesh for a two-day state visit, marking the first such visit in 13 years, as Bangladesh and Pakistan look to mend ties, adding to India's concerns.

Pakistan FM Ishaq Dar (Centre) meeting leaders in Bangladesh. (Ishaq Dar/X)

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh, said that three unresolved matters, including the 1971 genocide of Bangladeshi Bengalis, had been resolved twice in the past. However, Bangladesh rebutted his claim, saying the matter remains “unresolved".

Dar is currently in Dhaka in the first state-level visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Bangladesh after 13 years, as the Muhammad Yunus-led government is reportedly mending ties with Pakistan despite a tumultuous history and atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army during the liberation struggle in 1971.

As soon as he arrived in Dhaka, Dar held back-to-back talks with leaders of various political parties of Bangladesh to boost bilateral ties. After a meeting with Foreign Affairs Advisor Towhid Hossain at Hotel Sonargaon on Sunday, he spoke about the 1971 genocide by the Pakistani Army.

“The issue was settled for the first time in 1974. And the document of that time is historic for both countries. Then (former Pakistan Dictator) General Pervez Musharraf came here (to Bangladesh) and resolved the issue openly. As a result, the issue was resolved twice. Once in 1974, and again in the early 2000s," he was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo.

Bangladesh Rebuts Dar’s Claim

However, Bangladesh said the key issue of wanting an apology from Islamabad for atrocities during the war remained “unresolved", rebutting Dar’s claims. Mohammad Touhid Hossain said that the issue of an apology was not solved, but agreed to strengthen ties between the nations.

“We have reached a consensus that the pending issues must be resolved so they don’t stand as obstacles in our relationship," Hossain told reporters after the meeting. Both sides signed agreements to deepen trade and economic ties, as well as boost cultural exchanges.

Hossain said Bangladesh had raised “unresolved issues such as an apology or expression of regret for 1971, claims over assets, and the matter of stranded Pakistani citizens." He said it would be wrong to expect problems of 54 years to be solved in a single day.

Over three million people were killed, and more than 300,000 women were raped by the Pakistani Army during the 1971 genocide. Since the carnage, the people of Bangladesh have consistently demanded that Pakistan apologise for its barbarity.

Why Dar’s Visit Is Concerning For India?

India is believed to be closely watching Dar’s visit to Bangladesh as Dhaka is working on strengthening ties with a country that killed millions of Bangladeshi Bengalis under ‘Operation Search Light’ in 1971.

What adds to the concern is that Dar also separately interacted with leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), a hardline radical group that has espoused anti-India sentiment and was banned by previous governments for alleged terror links. A six-member delegation of the Bangladesh ist Party (BNP) also met the Pakistani minister.

“We tried to present the thoughts of the people of Bangladesh. There is an opportunity for improvement from the hostile relationship that existed before," said Citizen Party (NCP)Secretary Akhtar Hossain.

Meanwhile, ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has condemned Dar’s visit, stating that “without recognition of genocide, normalisation is betrayal." The party asserted that “history cannot be rewritten. Justice cannot be bargained away."

According to a report in Northeast News, Pakistan has yet to express remorse or apologise for the genocide of 1971, and some Pakistan-based media outlets are “publishing articles calling for reclaiming Bangladesh as a revenge for Pakistan’s defeat in the 1971 war with India."

(with inputs from agencies)

Dhaka, Bangladesh

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