Ambassador
G. R. Baluch
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have long carried the weight of 1971. The Liberation War left millions dead, countless displaced, and a legacy of trauma that continues to shape national narratives on both sides. For decades, memory and grievance overshadowed dialogue, often reducing engagement to ritualised recrimination rather than meaningful co-operation.
Now, after decades of estrangement, there is a small but meaningful opening. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Dhaka — the first such visit in 13 years — and signed six agreements covering trade, connectivity, education, and cultural exchange. These initiatives are not merely bureaucratic gestures; they are symbols of willingness — on both sides — to begin again, step by step.
Bangladesh continues to seek acknowledgement of the atrocities of 1971, reparations, and resolution for the stranded Pakistani population (Biharis). Pakistan, in turn, emphasises its recognition of Bangladesh in 1974 and General Musharraf’s 2002 expression of “regret” for the excesses of the war.
Reconciliation is rarely linear. Germany and France, once bitter adversaries, became founding partners of the European Union. Japan and the United States, despite the atomic bombings, built decades of trust and collaboration. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission framed moral accountability without descending into endless recrimination.
The lesson is clear: reconciliation does not demand perfect justice. It begins with acknowledgement, empathy, and practical steps that slowly build trust.
The six agreements signed during Minister Dar’s visit demonstrate the principle of small, consistent steps:
Trade: Reopened cargo links and streamlined exports–imports facilitate bilateral commerce. Bangladeshi textiles, shrimp, and jute now have smoother access to Pakistani markets, while Pakistan’s pharmaceuticals, machinery, and agricultural products reach Bangladesh efficiently. Economic interdependence creates mutual stakes in stability.
Connectivity: Maritime and road transport links reconnect the two economies, reducing costs and fostering regional integration. Improved transport also enables family reunions and people-to-people exchanges.
Cultural Exchange: Joint film festivals, art exhibitions, and music programmes highlight shared linguistic, literary, and culinary heritage. Such cultural diplomacy humanises “the other” and builds empathy across generations.
Education and Knowledge Sharing: Scholarships, academic partnerships, and joint research initiatives foster networks of collaboration among the next generation. Universities in Dhaka and Karachi are exploring faculty exchanges and collaborative studies on climate, water management, and sustainable agriculture.
Defence and Security Dialogue: Co-operation in maritime safety, disaster management, and counter-trafficking can reduce mistrust while addressing practical security needs.
Each initiative reinforces the broader principle: reconciliation is a mix of morality and pragmatism, not rhetoric alone.
Trade and agreements matter, but reconciliation also requires empathy. Empathy transforms memory from a source of grievance into a bridge for dialogue. Younger generations in both countries, less burdened by direct trauma, can reframe their understanding of history. They are curious about each other’s societies, cultures, and opportunities.
Consider the example of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors and American descendants of those involved in the bombings. Over decades, shared storytelling and dialogue humanised the “other”, demonstrating that empathy can traverse even the deepest divides. Pakistan and Bangladesh, separated by history yet bound by culture, language, and familial ties, can benefit from the same principle.
Empathy also helps leaders make decisions that prioritise future co-operation over past resentment. It allows policymakers to see beyond symbolic gestures and focus on practical, mutually beneficial outcomes — trade, cultural programmes, and joint development projects.
Beyond historical reconciliation, Pakistan and Bangladesh share a geostrategic imperative. India’s rise as a regional hegemon, coupled with political hubris and unilateralism, poses challenges for smaller South Asian states. The stagnation of SAARC — largely due to Indian intransigence — has left the region without a functional multilateral framework, limiting co-operative responses to shared economic, security, and environmental challenges.
In this context, Pakistan and Bangladesh can explore a new mini-lateral framework, initially trilateral, with China as a stabilising and strategic partner. This configuration leverages Pakistan and Bangladesh’s shared interests in security, trade, and infrastructure, while benefiting from China’s role as an economic and diplomatic anchor. Trilateral co-ordination could focus on port development, energy corridors, regional connectivity, and disaster management.
The model is scalable. Over time, other South Asian nations — Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal — could join, creating a broader co-operative network that respects sovereignty while promoting pragmatic economic and security collaboration. Unlike SAARC, which became mired in political disputes, a smaller, results-driven coalition can produce tangible outcomes, build trust, and gradually expand regional integration.
Such a mini-lateral structure offers strategic dividends. It counters regional imbalance by giving Pakistan and Bangladesh a platform for co-ordinated, independent policies. China’s involvement anchors development and stability without overriding bilateral dynamics. Tangible benefits — trade, infrastructure, investment — encourage other smaller South Asian states to participate, gradually extending the co-operative network.
For Pakistan and Bangladesh, this is not merely a strategic hedge; it is a practical pathway to stability, security, and prosperity in a historically
Reconciliation requires empathy. Trade, student exchanges, cultural programmes, and academic collaboration create networks of trust that endure across generations.
At the same time, moral gestures matter. Bangladesh’s call for acknowledgement is not political posturing — it is a matter of dignity. Pakistan’s carefully framed acknowledgement, even if symbolic, could unlock goodwill and demonstrate that reconciliation is not about weakness but moral and strategic foresight.
History and philosophy converge here: acknowledgement softens old wounds, while pragmatic co-operation secures shared futures. Memory, empathy, and practical action together form the architecture of durable reconciliation.
Pakistan and Bangladesh cannot isolate themselves in a competitive South Asia. Climate change, energy insecurity, trade deficits, and connectivity challenges require regional solutions. Trilateral co-operation with China, participation in economic corridors, and flexible mini-lateral arrangements offer platforms where shared interests can outweigh historical animosities.
Shared projects — ports, energy grids, industrial parks, and academic exchanges — also provide tangible incentives for peace. Citizens experience the benefits directly, reinforcing the sense that co-operation matters more than historical grievance. Practical partnerships, therefore, both stabilise and humanise relations.
Reconciliation is not an event; it is a journey of consistent, practical, and empathetic actions. The six agreements signed during Minister Dar’s visit symbolise a willingness to start anew.
If Germany and France, or Japan and the United States, could transform bitter enmity into enduring partnership, Pakistan and Bangladesh — bound by shared culture, history, and future interests — can do the same. The wounds of 1971 are deep, but the possibilities for co-operation, brotherhood, and mutual growth are deeper still.
Reconciliation, guided by empathy, pragmatism, and strategic foresight, can create a new chapter. Pakistan and Bangladesh now have the opportunity to walk this path together, step by step, with China as a stabilising partner and regional development as a shared goal.
The journey is long, but the destination — a relationship rooted in trust, strategic balance, and shared prosperity — is worth every step.
The writer is a former ambassador and Director Global and Regional Studies Center at IOBM University Karachi.
Courtesy
