Cover Story 
 

Cover Story

Road to Reconciliation

Time does have healing power, but it demands sincere apologies and forgiveness.

By Yasmeen Mozaffar | April 2025


It was a cold, windy evening on December 17, 1971, in Chicago in a southside suburban university hall—the usual den for Pakistani meetings. The hall was packed with East and West Pakistanis with the aura of sorrow, grief, anger, and defeat. News from the homeland had just been received that a part of Pakistan had become Bangladesh, and 90,000 Pakistanis were being taken to India as prisoners of war. Frustration was high among all, with the blame game at its peak. But the harsh reality had to be accepted. We no longer belong to each other. Away from our homeland, we held on to each other for good and for worse. It’s all over. We have been separated by design. Amidst tears, hugs, and goodbyes, the assemblage started to disperse, moving to the new avenues of strangerhood.

Time does have healing power, but it demands sincere apologies and forgiveness. Fifty-three years have gone by, but the monumental scar of separation still exists. All of the horrific details that led to it are still fresh in the memories of both parties. Much of such information is also documented in the Hamoodur Rahman Report. Even President General Musharraf’s 2002 visit to Bangladesh turned out to be a nonfunctional venture due to serious reservations by the Bangladeshi population. The visit was perceived in a context that Pakistan actually turned to Bangladesh to settle its own score with India. India supported East Pakistan when the Pakistani army launched an operation. A huge number of Bengalis fled to India, and the Congress-led Indian government and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi opened the borders for Bangladeshi refugees. Since then, India has been a dominant ally of Bangladesh.

In the last five decades, Bangladesh has emerged as the most progressive country in South Asia. It is the second largest economy in the region, surpassing Pakistan by 80% with a projected GDP of $481bn and per capita income of $2.770. Bangladesh has become a global industrial powerhouse by developing its human resources strategies. The United States is a major ally with extensive collaboration on regional matters and global security, counterterrorism, and climate change.


Bangladesh’s export strength lies in ready-made garments, making it the world’s largest apparel exporter after China. China has been exploring new, quality, productive venues with economic forces. Bangladesh can be a suitable location with competitive wages and a secure atmosphere. China is already providing significant military hardware and personal training since it recognized the country in 1971. Japan has also been providing support in infrastructure development, industrialization, and the energy, agriculture, healthcare, and education sectors. Bangladesh’s major export destinations are the US, Germany, the UK, Spain, and Poland.

Bangladesh is proving itself as a key stakeholder in South Asia. The region’s geopolitical situation crucially requires building solidarity among states and people. It also needs alignment between countries in economic and political arenas. With a New World Order on the horizon, South Asia has to focus and strategize on issues. All the concerned parties must let go of past grievances and move on. There should be a way forward.

Still, most of the Bangladeshi population has serious reservations about mending fences with Pakistan. The bitter past still haunts them.

Pakistan and Bangladesh must look into restoring ties. They have a vast background of common interests, which can be utilized to establish a broader coalition. At present, India is the most dominant influence in the region. It stands as the third-largest economy and is globally accepted as the biggest democracy in the world. Bangladesh has been fully compliant and a beneficiary of Indian policies honoring India’s support at its liberation. It’s only recently that concerns have been reflected regarding Bangladesh adopting an independent stance. Since the toppling of Sheikha Hasina’s government in August 2024 and Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, becoming the Chief Adviser of the country, chances of reconciliation with Pakistan are being forecast.

But still, the majority of Bangladesh shows serious reservations about mending fences with Pakistan. The bitter past still haunts them. The Pakistani government even disowned the remaining Pakistanis and left them at the mercy of the newly formed Bangladeshi government. Pakistan has to come up with a deliberate strategy to engage with Bangladesh. Both parties must be on the same page and have common ground to lay a foundation. Otherwise, Bangladesh is on its way to prosperity by itself. Hundreds of Pakistani businesses have already moved to Bangladesh. Why engage with a country on the verge of breaking down, politically and economically? It will be apparent to Bangladesh that Pakistan lacks civil stability. Pakistan is going through the worst time in its history. Pakistan has gone through four eras of martial law since its inception. The civil instability has resulted in the termination of many progressive policies. Pakistan is losing its credibility globally due to the current political unrest, human rights violations, and severe economic challenges. Pakistan now needs a stronger partnership with its immediate neighbours than ever before.

Both countries should have concrete assurance that neither will be undermined. If both countries agree to reconcile and move forward together, the image and scenario of South Asia will definitely change. The US and India’s strong rival, China, will be enthusiastic about getting into partnerships. Russia had been a dominant ally in this region, especially to India, but now, with the war with Ukraine and facing sanctions from the West, it is already considering establishing ties with others in the region to promote trade with all member countries of SAARC. The partnership between Pakistan and Bangladesh could significantly impact India’s regional and global dominance.

If Pakistan and Bangladesh come together, honor their good old times, and make a compromise for their stability and progression, a bright future is ahead. Deep down, a considerable number of its population still consider their culture and values to be the same. There is always a hope of better times.

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