Pakistan has told Bangladesh in clear terms that it will never apologise for alleged war crimes in 1971 in then East Pakistan, official sources said.
“It has been conveyed to Bangladesh very clearly that this can’t happen. We will not apologise for any crime or anything,” a highly placed government official told this newspaper, referring to a recent meeting with a Bangladeshi delegation led by their foreign secretary, Mohammed Mijarul Quayes.
“They were here (the Bangladesh delegation). We talked about the future and have asked them to bury the past. We can’t discuss war crimes anymore,” he added. “As far as Pakistan is concerned, we regret that some human rights violations may have taken place, but if they want a formal apology, it is out of the question.”
Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, accuses Pakistan — then West Pakistan — of committing war crimes in 1971 during the Pakistan-India war.
The Pakistan-India war erupted after West Pakistan tried to crush an independence movement in East Pakistan. The eastern wing of Pakistan later became a sovereign country — Bangladesh.
The official said that the Bangladeshi delegation, which visited Islamabad headed by foreign secretary Mohammed Mijarul Quayes in November, put officials of the ministry of foreign affairs in a state of disbelief by putting forth a number of “controversial demands”.
The officials of foreign office were surprised when their Bangladeshi guests demanded that Pakistan offer a formal apology for what the Pakistani troops did there in the 1971 war, he added.
“Before we can move ahead to enhance our bilateral relations, Bangladesh wants Pakistan to offer a formal apology against its Army’s wrongdoings during the 1971 war,” foreign secretary of Bangladesh Mohammad Mijarul Qua-yes was quoted as saying.