Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina terms 1971 atrocities by Pak Army as unforgettable

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has pulled up Pakistan by asserting that Dhaka cannot forget atrocities committed by Pakistan Army in 1971 in what can be viewed as a snub to recent efforts by the Imran Khan government to improve bilateral relationship.
“Incidents of 1971 cannot be forgotten. The pain will remain forever,” Hasina told Pak envoy to Dhaka on Thursday indicating bilateral ties will remain far from smooth despite efforts by Imran to "normalise" ties. Sources from Dhaka told ET that Pakistan’s lack of sincerity in apologising for genocide have not allowed relations to progress and Islamabad is unlikely to make any such efforts.
Referring to the incidents between 1948 and 1971, Hasina told the Pak envoy that the volumes of the book ‘Secret Documents of Intelligence Branch on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’ contain lots of historical facts of this period.

The remarks are significant as Bangladesh celebrates 50 years of independence in 2021 and is currently celebrating Mujib's birth centenary. Hasina and PM Narendra Modi are expected to hold a virtual summit later this month launching joint celebrations for 50 years of Bangladesh Independence, ET has reliably learnt.

Bangladesh-Pakistan ties have been lukewarm under the Sheikh Hasina government. In 2018 Pakistan High Commission officials in Dhaka came under scanner for hobnobbing with opposition BNP. The ISI-Pak Army have made attempts to revive their plans to support NE insurgent groups. The infamous Pak spy agency was active in Bangladesh when BNP-Jamaat was in power.

Secularism has been one of the important features of the Constitution of Bangladesh after it was restored by the country’s Supreme Court. The provision was introduced by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman but later removed by pro-Pak leader Ziaur Rehman. In one of his speeches Mujib had said, "There are Hindus, Muslims, Bengalis, non-Bengalis in this Bengal. They are our brothers. It is our responsibility to protect them so that we are not discredited."