B’desh assessing ties with Pak: FM Ali

Bangladesh is “assessing” ties with Pakistan after it criticised the country over the executions of two top war crimes convicts, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said on Sunday as he called “ridiculous” Islamabad’s denial of complicity in the atrocities during the 1971 Liberation War.

“We are assessing (the Pakistani stance)... We are thinking what steps we will take,” Ali said.

He was speaking at a discussion here titled “Relationship between Bangladesh-India in the Touchstone of Time” to mark the 44th anniversary of the Victory Day on Sunday.

Ali called “ridiculous” Pakistan’s denial of complicity in the atrocities during the nine-month-long war.

He said the report of the Hamidur Rahman Commission, which Pakistan formed to assess the reasons for their defeat, also suggested to what extent they had committed atrocities.

Ali said even former Pakistani president Gen Pervez Musharraf during his visit to Dhaka had tendered an apology in July 2002, “though in weak words”.

He said many Pakistanis have admitted the crimes committed during the war. “But now there is no benefit of denying it saying that they did not do anything. It’s ridiculous.” 

The minister recalled with gratitude the Indian support in 1971 and said a “qualitative change” in the Dhaka-Delhi ties took the relationship to a new height. “This relation is now so consolidated that none could crack it.” 

Ali’s comments on Pakistan came amid mounting anger in Bangladesh over Islamabad’s reactions after the war crimes convicts BNP stalwart Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed were executed last month.