Foreign relation analysts await Dhaka-Islamabad FOC follow up at political level

Foreign relation analysts in Dhaka  have said they would await the follow up developments of the official level foreign office consultation (FOC) between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the political level as the issues of apology for 1971 genocide and asset sharing came up in the talks.

"Since the Pakistani foreign secretary represents her government at the FOC has some resonance, also because it was held after long 15 years," former diplomat and foreign relation expert ambassador Humayun Kabir told BSS here on Thursday evening.

He said the Pakistani deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar was set to visit Dhaka later this month when the issues raised in the FOC could yield some results.

Kabir, who runs the private Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) think tank, said the issue of Pakistan's official apology came up in the discussion and if an apology could absolve an old scar, there should be no reason Islamabad should not do so for improved ties with Dhaka.

"It's a good time for them to do it," he said.

Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University's international relations department said for obscure reasons Pakistan did not seek an apology officially until now while there were many examples when many countries like France and Japan sought apology for their atrocities in other countries.

He said the "asset sharing" was also a big issue though in terms of monetary calculation it is not a big amount Dhaka demanded and "as soon as these issues are resolved, the ties could develop in a faster pace".

"And it is also important to note that the bilateral ties should not be based any of the two concerned countries relations with a third country," Ahmed said.

He said the bilateral relations should only serve the interest of the people and economy of the two countries, and in "our case it is Bangladesh's interest".

But, he said, mutually beneficial economic relations could carry forward the diplomatic and political ties while incidentally Bangladesh currently was economically in a better position compared to Pakistan.

He said it depends largely up to Pakistan how far they would open up their market for Bangladeshi products as only good political gesture could not advance the bilateral relations to too far.

Former ambassador Mahfuzur Rahman said apparently Pakistan was interested to hold the FOC which was an engagement at official level after 15 years when issues that evolved 54 years ago were raised.

He said the follow up of the talks at the FOC level could get a direction at the political level talks when Dar would visit Dhaka later this month.

"We expect to see the follow up of talks which we had today at the foreign secretary level meeting and a subsequent joint press conference," said Rahman, who once served as the deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh in Islamabad.