DHAKA : Amid occasional tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi since the Awami League regime's fall last year, Pakistan has been actively reaching out to Bangladesh through frequent visits, seeking to strengthen bilateral ties despite unresolved historical issues since 1971, reports UNB.
Bangladesh witnessed a series of visits from Pakistan in recent months with ongoing official visit of Pakistan's Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan who began his interactions in Dhaka on Thursday.
On the other hand, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain is set to welcome his Pakistani counterpart Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday.
At the invitation of Bangladesh, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar will pay an official visit to Bangladesh on August 23-24. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will hold meetings with various Bangladeshi leaders, including Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Adviser Hossain, a senior official told UNB.
His previous scheduled visit to Bangladesh in April was postponed amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The whole range of bilateral relations and a number of regional and international issues will be discussed during these meetings.
In a latest development, diplomatic and official passport holders of Bangladesh and Pakistan will now be able to travel to each other's countries without visas.
The Council of Advisers, chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, approved a draft agreement to this effect at its weekly meeting on Thursday.
During Foreign Secretary-level talks in Dhaka on April 17, Bangladesh raised historical unsettled issues with Pakistan, including a formal public apology for the atrocities committed against Bangladesh during the 1971 War of Liberation by the Pakistan forces and pending financial claims from Pakistan. Bangladesh thinks these issues need to be resolved for having a solid foundation of the relations.
Bangladesh keeps demanding 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.
Bangladesh seeks 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 emphasised on working together towards this end.
Referring to 1971 issues with Pakistan, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said each issue would be on the table for discussions as plans to hold bilateral talks with the his Pakistan counterpart on August 24.
"Each issue will be on the table," Adviser Hossain told reporters when asked whether Bangladesh will raise the issues of seeking public apology by Pakistan and due compensation.
The iinterim government says it is approaching in a "pragmatic way" in terms of its relations with Pakistan, stressing that everything will be on the table for discussion with Pakistan.
Bangladesh sees willingness from the Pakistan side to remain engaged on those issues as the talks began between Dhaka and Islamabad after 15 years.