Time to close the chapter of 1971 tragedy

Recently, a video of a Bangladeshi professor went viral. Professor Shahiduzzaman from the international relations department of Dhaka University, while speaking at a gathering, proposed a nuclear treaty with Pakistan to counter India. The moment he made the proposal, there was a thunderous applause in the hall. He even proposed that Bangladesh should ask Pakistan to deploy medium-range Ghauri ballistic missiles along the Indian border. A day later another professor did a video on Shahiduzzaman's suggestion and endorsed the idea. I scrolled down the comments section and to my astonishment the idea of a nuclear treaty with Pakistan got overwhelming support from the common people there. Not a single comment went against it.

Whether or not a nuclear treaty between Pakistan and Bangladesh is possible is not the question we debate here. The real story here is about a nuclear treaty but the overwhelming positive sentiments about a country, which had long been accused of persecution and injustices against the Bengali people. The professor who proposed a nuclear treaty also said he knew the people of Pakistan were also hurt over what happened in 1971. This kind of sentiment was unthinkable a few months ago. Under Sheikh Hasina, the Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship only got worse. During her 15-year-long rule, Pakistani diplomats in Dhaka had to endure more harassment from Bangladeshi security services than India. Securing a meeting with government officials at that time was a Herculean task. Such was the nature of the relationship between the two countries that a Pakistani high commissioner faced an abduction attempt in Dhaka.

Hasina was a staunch ally of India and she never moved an inch towards Pakistan without first seeking prior approval from New Delhi. Although events related to the 1971 war were tragic and many in Pakistan still admit that. But the Hasina government always pushed the Indian narrative, always demanding of Islamabad to not only apologies but also admit genocide allegations. Pakistan was willing to bury the past but not on terms of Sheikh Hasina, who simply wanted to humiliate Islamabad. But since her ouster after weeks of violent protests, there is certainly a new opening for Pakistan to mend ties with Bangladesh. The sentiment of the mentioned professor and the endorsement from the general public is just an example of that. Officials who deal with Bangladesh have told me that there is no doubt Pakistan has got an opportunity to reset ties with Dhaka. The winds of change can be gauged from the fact that Pakistani diplomats had more meetings with Bangladeshi officials in the last month and a half than during the entire 15-year term of Sheikh Hasina. However, officials made it clear that 1971 remains an issue and requires a proper closure.

So, is this the best time to bring that tragic past behind? Certainly, it is. Unlike the Awami League government, the present set-up and people in Bangladesh want to see movement in the relationship with Pakistan. It is understandable that offering an apology has implications. Pakistan has all along maintained that the 1974 tripartite agreement had already brought closure to those events. But people of Bangladesh still want some acknowledgement from Pakistan. Given that there is now a favourable environment in Dhaka, Pakistan can take the bold step. It can engage with the Bangladeshi government through back channels and agree on a joint statement that puts an end to the 1971 tragedy. A meeting is expected between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Head of the Bangladeshi government Dr Muhammad Yunus at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York this month. The meeting, a first between the two countries at the highest level in many years, could break the ice. Bangladesh was once part of Pakistan, and is not just like any other country. Hence, it deserves special attention when winds of change are blowing in our favour.