[Dawn] A senior Bangladeshi official on Sunday urged Pakistain to formally apologize for alleged atrocities and acts of genocide committed by the Pak military during the independence war in 1971.Foreign Affairs Minister Dipu Moni made the demand in a meeting with Pakistain's new envoy to Bangladesh, a statement released by the ministry said.
Aided by India, Bangladesh, then the eastern wing of Pakistain, won its independence in 1971 after a nine-month war.
Bangladesh says Pak soldiers, aided by local collaborators, killed an estimated 3 million people, raped about 200,000 women and forced millions to flee their homes. Pakistain has disputed the allegations.
According to the statement, Moni "sought Pakistain's understanding and recognition of Bangladesh's position on resolving the outstanding issues including an expression of formal apology from Pakistain for the genocide and atrocities committed by the Pak military in 1971."
It said Moni also wanted to settle the issues of division of assets and war reparations.
Moni said that resolving these long-standing issues was important to maintaining good relations with Pakistain.
"Early resolution of the outstanding issues would enable the existing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Pakistain to make a great leap forward and create a wider space for cooperation," the statement quoted Moni as saying.
The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has initiated a move to try Bangladeshi collaborators who allegedly helped the Pak military. A special tribunal has been formed to conduct the trials.
Five top leaders of Bangladesh's largest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, are currently behind bars, pending trial for their alleged role as collaborators.
Two other men from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is led by former Prime Minister
Khaleda ZiaThree-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ...
, are in jail on similar charges. All of them have denied the allegations.
No, no! Certainly not!
Jamaat-e-Islami openly campaigned against breaking away from Pakistain during the 1971 war. The international community has called on the government to ensure that the tribunal is free and impartial.
New York-based Human Rights Watch
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has praised the government for establishing the tribunal, but called for changes, including allowing the accused to question its impartiality, which current law prohibits.