Mumbai:
After a gap of 15 years, a Pakistani foreign secretary landed in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka to hold bilateral meetings. Amid strained India-Bangladesh ties, Pakistan has been accused of pushing its agenda of encouraging anti-India extremists in Bangladesh, especially after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government last year.
While Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus has been focussing on China at the cost of India, Pakistan also seems to be clawing its way back in to have a larger role in Bangladesh.
Amna Baloch, the Pakistani official, will hold a series of meetings with her Bangladeshi counterpart Md Jashim Uddin as part of the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) between the two countries.
The foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries will take place at Padma, the state guest house in Dhaka, on Thursday. India will be watching the developments in Dhaka closely.
Ms Baloch is also likely to meet members of the interim government of Bangladesh including Foreign Affairs Advisor Md Touhid Hussain and Mr Yunus during the visit.
Over the last few months, not only Bangladesh has seen radicals and extremists become more vocal, but it has also seen an effort to wipe out the legacy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, who liberated the country from Pakistan, leading to the birth of Bangladesh.
His daughter, Sheikh Hasina, who was prime minister till August last year has hit out at the developments in Bangladesh.
Addressing her supporters on Sunday, she accused Mr Yunus of erasing Bangladesh’s history, especially those linked to the Awami League’s contribution to the country’s freedom struggle.
“All signs of Bangladesh’s freedom movement are being removed. Mukti Joddhas (freedom fighters) are being insulted. We built Mukti Joddha complexes in all districts to keep their memories alive, but those are being burnt down. Will Mr Yunus be able to justify this?” she said. “If you play with fire, it will burn you too.”
Pakistan, many Bangladesh watchers believe, has a role in encouraging anti-India voices in the country.
The caretaker government in Bangladesh led by Mr Yunus has freed elements like Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an al-Qaida affiliated terrorist outfit.
The last time the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and Bangladesh met was in 2010 in Islamabad. Pakistan however since then lost ground in Bangladesh and India improved ties with Bangladesh especially under the Sheikh Hasina regime, where both sides improved coordination and cooperation on several issues of mutual interest.
However, since the interim government in Bangladesh took charge, the relationship between the two countries suffered with Bangladesh pivoting towards China and opening up towards Pakistan. The visit is significant as it is expected to set off a series of further meetings between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Pakistan and Bangladesh share a tumultuous history. After Partition, East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, was under the direct control of Islamabad. In 1971, with help from India and a valiant effort by the Indian Army alongside the Mukti Joddhas of Bangladesh, the country was liberated under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman.
The Pakistani Army tortured and committed atrocities against Bangladeshis, leading to the intervention from India and the liberation of Bangladesh. But now with the interim government in power, Pakistan is eyeing more engagement with Bangladesh, a move which is also being reciprocated by the small nation.
In December last year, Dhaka University, the largest educational institute of Bangladesh, lifted the ban on admitting Pakistani students. The ban was put in place in December 2015 to press Pakistan for an apology and push for accountability for the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army in 1971. However, no accountability or apology has come from Pakistan.
The two foreign secretaries are also expected to discuss and shape the events during Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s upcoming trip to Dhaka later this month. It will be the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister since 2012.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Mr Yunus have met twice since August last year. They first met at the UN General Assembly in New York in September last year, and then again at the D-8 summit in Cairo in December.
Pakistan is keen on enhancing cultural exchanges and establishing direct air connectivity between the two countries. Bangladesh eased visa rules for Pakistani nationals in an effort to normalise ties. Officials on both sides have confirmed that all bilateral issues will be discussed during the FOC meeting.