United News of Bangladesh

Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder has said the best option to resolve historical unsettled issues is obviously talks, and this is exactly what the interim government is trying to do with Pakistan. "It has brought Pakistan to talks after long years and duly raised the issues while at the same time looking forward to exploring trade and commerce potential for mutual benefits," he said, stressing that there are many instances globally of former enemies turning into allies. It is perhaps time for Bangladesh and Pakistan to move on and work together to resolve the past issues for future benefits, Azad said, adding that distancing from one neighbour to keep another happy cannot be the foreign policy of an independent nation. One of the emotive issues, of course hindering Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, is Bangladesh’s demand for an apology from Pakistan for the genocide and atrocities committed by its armed forces in 1971, Azad said sharing his brief analysis on the just-held talks between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Even many in Pakistan’s civil society, media and intelligentsia believed that an apology would be an act of goodwill and grace, but the country’s Foreign Office and the military bureaucracy were always opposed to such an idea, and thus a formal apology never came, said the DPS. Bangladesh also pressed for the issue of division of assets, which was a forgotten matter for the past regimes, who preferred disengagement to talks.  According to an estimate, Bangladesh has a claim of at least US$ 4.32 billion as of 1974. The estimate was based on assumptions with respect to internal capital creation, external debt settlement, and retention of external financial assets, Azad said. Bangladesh has an additional claim of approximately US$ 200 million, which was donated by foreign countries/agencies for the cyclone victims of the then East Pakistan in November 1970. Foreign Adviser calls for addressing expat issues at home before their arrival in destination countries The money was lying in the office of the State Bank of Pakistan in Dhaka before it was transferred to the Lahore Branch of the State Bank of Pakistan during our war of liberation in 1971. The repatriation of stranded Pakistanis was another issue that hindered the relationship between the two countries. In the past, Pakistan only took back around 125,000 of its people, but some 325,000 are housed in 79 camps in 14 districts of Bangladesh, Azad said in a post from his Facebook account. These are the issues that continued to remain as barriers in order to move towards a healthy and forward-looking bilateral relationship between the two countries, he said. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, during his meeting with his counterpart Shehbaz Sharif in Egypt earlier this year, spoke about the need for resolving the outstanding issues, and on Thursday, while holding a meeting with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch at the State Guest House Jamuna, reiterated his call. But, in the same meeting, Azad said, Dr Yunus insisted on a sound relationship with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, to tap into the huge economic potential of the region. "There are many instances of former enemies turning into allies. France and England fought countless wars for centuries, but joined hands in the Second World War," he said. The US bombed Japan in the same war, but later turned it into an ally, Azad mentioned. He recalled a question that they faced about whether Bangladesh is shifting its foreign policy to be pro-Pakistan. "It did not surprise us at all. There will always be some people who will rarely believe in Bangladesh’s independent identity," Azad said. "Our response was obvious. Irrespective of whatever happened in the past with regard to the country’s foreign policy, it will be a pro-Bangladesh policy from now on, driven by our own interest," he added. It took the interim government less than 24 hours to translate its words into action by reminding Amna Baloch, the foreign secretary of Pakistan, the outstanding issues between the two countries, while at the same time agreeing to work together for mutual benefits.

Recognising connectivity as a priority, Bangladesh and Pakistan have welcomed the launch of direct shipping between Karachi and Chittagong and emphasised the importance of resuming direct air links. They also expressed satisfaction over the progress made in easing travel and visa facilitation. A shared commitment to a "forward-looking partnership" emerged, said the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release after the foreign secretary-level talks but it  did not contain Bangladesh's core demands flagged during the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Dhaka on Thursday. Bangladesh on Thursday sought a formal apology from Pakistan for the genocide committed by the then Pakistani armed forces in 1971, stressing that all the unresolved historical issues must be addressed to put the relations between Dhaka and Islamabad on solid foundation.  . Bangladesh raised the historically unresolved issues with Pakistan such as repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, Bangladesh's fair share of undivided wealth – US$ 4.32 billion, transfer of foreign aid funds sent to the victims of the 1970 cyclone, and a formal apology for the genocide committed by the then Pakistani armed forces in 1971. “We said that as a friendly neighbour of Bangladesh in South Asia, we seek Pakistan's cooperation in building a strong, welfare-oriented and forward-looking relationship with Pakistan by resolving the existing historical unresolved issues at the earliest and we emphasise on working together towards this end,” Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin told reporters at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Adviser calls for addressing expat issues at home before their arrival in destination countries The talks, led by Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and his Pakistan counterpart Amna Baloch were after a gap of 15 years and and "reflected a shared resolve" to revitalise bilateral engagement. The two sides held a "comprehensive exchange" on political, economic, cultural, educational, and strategic cooperation, underpinned by shared history, cultural affinities and the common aspirations of their peoples. Satisfaction was expressed at recent high-level contacts in New York, Cairo, Samoa and Jeddah, which have helped reenergise the bilateral relationship. Both sides emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum through regular institutional dialogue, early finalisation of pending agreements, and enhanced cooperation in trade, agriculture, education, and connectivity. Pakistan offered academic opportunities in its agricultural universities, while Bangladesh offered technical training in fisheries and maritime studies. The Bangladeshi side also acknowledged scholarship offers from private universities in Pakistan and underscored the need for deeper cooperation in the education sector. The Bangladesh side appreciated recent performances by renowned Pakistani artists in Dhaka, while the Pakistani side encouraged reciprocal cultural exchanges. The prospects for broader cooperation in sports, media, and cultural institutions were discussed, including the finalisation of various MoUs in these areas, said the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On multilateral issues, both sides reaffirmed the need to revitalise SAARC in line with its founding principles. The Pakistan Foreign Secretary appreciated the vision of the Bangladeshi leadership and expressed hope that the SAARC process would remain insulated from bilateral political considerations. While reviewing the Middle East situation, the two sides strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression and grave human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, particularly in Gaza.

Bangladesh on Thursday raised historical unsettled issues with Pakistan, including a formal apology for the genocide committed by the then Pakistani armed forces in 1971 and Bangladesh's fair share of undivided wealth and laid emphasis on resolving pending issues to put the relations on a “solid foundation. Bangladesh also flagged a figure of US$ 4.32 billion as part of its financial claim demanded from Pakistan as Dhaka and Islamabad held the Foreign Office Consultations after a long 15 years. The 5th FOC at the foreign-secretary level was held in Islamabad in 2010.   “We said that as a friendly neighbor of Bangladesh in South Asia, we seek Pakistan's cooperation in building a strong, welfare-oriented and forward-looking relationship with Pakistan by resolving the existing historical unresolved issues at the earliest and we emphasize on working together towards this end,” Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the FOC. Bangladesh also raised unsettled issues like repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and transfer of foreign aid funds sent to the victims of the 1970 cyclone. Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch led their respective delegation at the FOC at State guest house Padma as the two South Asian countries are keen to strengthen their ties. Ways needed to overcome hurdles for stronger ties with Pakistan: Chief Adviser Though the Bangladesh side briefed the media, the Pakistani Foreign Minister declined to make any comment when approached to know about the meeting outcome. "These issues need to be resolved for having a solid foundation of our relations," Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bangladesh sees willingness from the Pakistan side to remain engaged on those issues as the talks began between Dhaka and Islamabad after 15 years. Asked what the reply from the Pakistan side was, the Foreign Secretary said they assured them of remaining engaged with Bangladesh in the coming discussions. "They (Pakistan) would like to remain engaged. Our aim was to flag the issues," he said. The Foreign Secretary said Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to pay an official visit to Bangladesh on April 27-28. Ishaq Dar’s upcoming trip to Dhaka will mark the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister since 2012. Jashim said Pakistan is one of the important neighbors in South Asia and advancing relations with all the neighbors is one of the goals of Bangladesh’s foreign policy. In this context, he said, both sides agreed in the consultations to further advance the existing relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan in the coming days. The Foreign Secretary said they emphasized economic and trade relations with Pakistan. 

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday laid emphasis on strengthening ties with Pakistan to boost mutual cooperation and explore trade and business potential by overcoming certain hurdles. “There are certain hurdles. We have to find ways to overcome those and move forward,” he said when Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch met him at the State Guest Jamuna. Acknowledging past issues, Baloch, the first Pakistani foreign secretary to visit Bangladesh in 15 years, said Bangladesh and Pakistan must find ways to “harness the potential between the two countries.” “We have huge intra-market potential on our own rights and we should use it. We can’t miss the bus every time,” Baloch said. She said that there is a need for a regular B2B interaction between the private sectors of two countries and exchange visits at all levels. Unsettled issues need to be resolved to put ties on solid foundation: Dhaka to Islamabad In January 2025, a delegation of the FPCCI visited Bangladesh and signed an MoU with the FBCCI, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing. The Pakistan foreign secretary hoped that the upcoming visit of the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar at the end of April would further boost relations between the two countries. The Chief Adviser said he always preferred closer ties with neighboring countries, including Pakistan, in the framework of SAARC. He said Bangladesh and Pakistan should exchange more youth and cultural programs between the two countries to increase the people-to-people bonding. “We kept missing each other for a long time as our relationship was frozen. We have to overcome the barriers,” he said. The Chief Adviser recalled his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the 79th UNGA in September 2024 and in Cairo on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in December 2024, saying that they were the key to making progress in bilateral relations. He said Bangladesh and Pakistan will continue to work closely at multilateral and regional forums like SAARC, OIC and D-8. Senior Secretary on SDGs Affairs Lamiya Morshed and Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Syed Ahmed Maroof were, among others, present.

Bangladesh and Pakistan will hold Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Dhaka on Thursday, marking the first such meeting since 2010. Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch will lead the Bangladesh and Pakistan sides respectively at the FOC to be held at state guest house Padma.   Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Baloch, who assumed the charge as the 33rd Foreign Secretary of Pakistan on September 11 last year, is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday to join the talks with her Bangladesh counterpart, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. Pakistan wanted to hold the consultations with Bangladesh as part of Islamabad’s efforts to strengthen the ties with Dhaka. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to pay an official visit to9 Bangladesh later this month. ‘March for Gaza’ demonstrates Bangladesh’s continued support for Palestine: Home Adviser Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Tuesday said there will be discussions on all issues of mutual interest as the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan is coming. Ishaq Dar’s upcoming trip to Dhaka will mark the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister since 2012. Both sides, in their recent interactions, expressed satisfaction over recent visits of several trade delegations from Pakistan to Bangladesh and emphasised the importance of visits by the product specific trade delegations from Bangladesh to Pakistan. Cooperation in the sectors of tourism, people-to-people contacts, cultural exchanges, the issue of forcibly displaced Rohingyas and cooperation in the international forum were also discussed. Both sides recalled the substantive discussion between Bangladesh's chief adviser and the prime minister of Pakistan during their meetings in Cairo on the sidelines of D-8 Summit in December 2024 and in New York in September 2024 on the sidelines of the 79th UNGA. They also recalled the meeting between the foreign adviser and deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting in Apia, Samoa in October 2024.

Bangladesh and Pakistan have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest as the foreign ministers of the two South Asian countries met on the sidelines of the OIC meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Both the dignitaries expressed satisfaction over the "upward trajectory" of bilateral relations. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar held the meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Oragnization of Islamic Cooperation. Pakistan eager to hold foreign secretary level talks with Bangladesh to boost ties The meeting took place in a cordial environment, reflecting the fraternal sentiments from both sides, said the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka did not issue any media release after the meeting. During the meeting, both sides highlighted the historical, religious and cultural linkages between the two countries and further agreed to enhance cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade, people to people contacts and cultural exchanges. The extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened on the evening of Friday (March 7) in Jeddah and discussed the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and the plans for annexation and forced displacement from their land. Pakistani Deputy PM's visit expected, but not before April: Foreign Affairs Adviser In a press release issued by the OIC, the meeting started with a speech by Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Cameroon Lejeune Mbella Mbella, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Council of Foreign Ministers. Mbella stated that the meeting is being held amid new developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including calls for the displacement of Palestinians. He emphasised that this situation requires a moment of assessment and forward-looking vision, while maintaining the unified stance of our organisation on this critical issue, in accordance with its charter and relevant United Nations resolutions. Ambassador Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan called on the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Md Jashim Uddin recently at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka. Bangladesh,Pakistani traders seek removal of customs ,non-customs barriers Siddiqui carried a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan addressed to Adviser Hossain and handed it over to the Foreign Secretary.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about hosting a white-ball series in July-August, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is. While no final decision has been made, officials from both boards are optimistic about the potential series. BCB cricket operations head Shahriar Nafees confirmed the talks. “BCB and PCB are in discussion about it, and at the moment both boards are positive about it,” he said it to the cricket news website Cricbuzz. The discussions took place between PCB head Mohsin Naqvi and BCB president Faruque Ahmed during the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai. English cricket gets 'seminal moment' as $650M raised by investors The series, if finalised, would add to Bangladesh’s already-packed cricket calendar. The team is scheduled to tour Pakistan at the end of May for a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series under the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP). Hosting Pakistan soon after would mean back-to-back encounters between the two teams in different conditions. Bangladesh, who recently suffered an early exit from the Champions Trophy after consecutive losses to India and New Zealand, will now look to regroup ahead of a busy year. Following the ICC event, they are set to play a two-Test series against Zimbabwe at home in mid-April before traveling to Sri Lanka for two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is in June-July. If the Pakistan home series is confirmed, it will take place just before Bangladesh hosts India in August-September for another white-ball series. Bangladesh will then participate in the Asia Cup in September before hosting West Indies for three Tests and three T20Is in October, followed by a home series against Ireland in November, which includes two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed to import Atap rice on Government to Government (G2G) basis from Pakistan. Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Food signed the MoU at the Ministry of Food’s meeting room at the Secretariat on Tuesday. US tops in remittance inflows to Bangladesh for 3 months: BB The MoU is expected to contribute to stabilising the domestic rice market and strengthen economic and trade relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan, said a press release. Syed Rafeeo Bashir Shah, chairman of TCP, and Mohammad Abdul Khalek, Director General of the Directorate of Food signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides. Food Secretary Mohammad Masudul Hasan, Special Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce Shakeel Ahmed, and High Commissioner Syed Ahmed Maroof, among others were present during the signing.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Tuesday said the current government did not give any impression at all to Pakistan that Bangladesh is willing to build good relations leaving aside the 1971 issue. “We have not seen any words coming from Pakistan. I personally think the relations will be easier if they (Pak government) show the courage to refer to what happened in 1971 and say that they are sincerely seeking apology,” he told reporters while responding to a question at a media briefing. Bangladesh wants Pakistan to seek apology publicly with a formal announcement for the atrocities it perpetrated against unarmed Bangalees in 1971.       “Everything doesn’t go by the law”: Foreign Adviser on Hasina’s stay in India Bangladesh Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus called for the revival of Saarc as a top platform for regional cooperation in South Asia when he met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters. “It was entirely a courtesy meeting. We don’t raise difficult issues in such courtesy meetings. When we will sit down for discussion, we will raise such difficult issues,” said the Foreign Adviser. He said they will try to maintain good relations with Pakistan but 1971 issues will be there. “1971 is always in our hearts.” During his meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Yunus, Pakistan’s PM Sharif said Bangladesh and Pakistan should open a “new page” in their relations to enhance cooperation in various aspects. “It’s essential we revive our relations,” he said. Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Director General (Public Diplomacy Wing) Toufique Hasan were also present.