Distinguished Professor Dr. Ali Riaz commented on the Bangladesh-Pakistan relationship and underscored the need for Pakistan to apologize for the 1971 genocide. In a report—titled “Can Pakistan and Bangladesh Be Friends?”—published in The Diplomat, Riaz is quoted as saying, “Bangladeshis across the board feel that Pakistan needs admit its mistakes of the past, acknowledge that its army had perpetrated a genocide and apologize for the atrocities committed.” The reported is titled,
Bangladesh, which was a part of Pakistan, declared independence in 1971 after the Pakistani army unleashed a genocide. A nine-month long war of independence ended in December 1971. Since then the relationship between these two countries had experienced ebb and flow but has seriously strained since 2009. Bangladesh is viewed to be close to India, Pakistan’s regional rival. Recently Pakistan took initiative to improve the relationship.
As for the future trajectory of the relationship, Riaz said, “With emerging global dynamics, there are various possibilities. But without the acknowledgement and apology of Pakistan for its heinous crimes in 1971, the road leads to nowhere.”
The Diplomat is a Washington, D.C., based online magazine of international issues of the Asia-Pacific region.
