Bangladesh Renews Demand for Reparations and Justice for 1971 Atrocities

Half a Century Later, Dhaka Seeks Closure for War Crimes

Guest Writer

In a bold diplomatic move marking a new phase in its foreign policy, Bangladesh has formally renewed its longstanding demands to Pakistan for reparations, an official apology, and the resolution of humanitarian obligations arising from the 1971 Liberation War.

During foreign secretary-level talks held in Dhaka on April 17, 2025, Bangladesh presented a comprehensive list of demands that have remained unresolved for over five decades. This marks the first formal bilateral engagement at this level in fifteen years, signaling both the possibility of dialogue and the enduring bitterness over the scars of 1971.

According to reports from the Dhaka Tribune and The Daily Star, the core demands include:

1. Formal State Apology

The Bangladesh government has emphasized that reconciliation is impossible without a formal, unambiguous apology from Pakistan for the genocide, mass rapes, and systematic violence perpetrated by the Pakistani military and supporting militias during the 1971 war.

Bangladeshi estimates, as cited in New Age Bangladesh, indicate that three million civilians were killed and over 200,000 women were raped during the nine-month conflict.

2. Financial Reparations

Bangladesh has formally demanded $4.52 billion in financial reparations.

This figure, according to bdnews24.com, covers:

• Bangladesh's share of pre-1971 financial assets

• Compensation for economic losses sustained during the war

• Repatriation of funds that were allocated for disaster relief after the 1970 Bhola cyclone — funds that were meant for victims but allegedly absorbed by West Pakistani authorities

3. Resolution of the "Stranded Pakistanis" Issue

A lesser-known but deeply painful chapter also resurfaced during the talks: the fate of approximately 300,000 Urdu-speaking "Stranded Pakistanis," mostly Biharis, who remain stateless in Bangladesh, living in overcrowded and impoverished refugee camps such as the Geneva Camp in Dhaka.

According to the Dhaka Tribune, despite their declared allegiance to Pakistan in 1971, Islamabad has repeatedly refused full-scale repatriation, leaving generations born in these camps trapped in political and social limbo.

Bangladesh has demanded that Pakistan immediately initiate steps to accept these individuals, many of whom have spent over 50 years in squalid conditions, marginalized by both countries.

Context: A Shifting Regional Dynamic

The timing of these demands is significant. Following the fall of the Awami League government under Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, Bangladesh's interim leadership under Muhammad Yunus has been recalibrating foreign policy priorities, working to normalize ties with Pakistan while simultaneously distancing itself from India.

Sources inside the Foreign Ministry, speaking to The Daily Star, have indicated that Bangladesh views addressing historical grievances not as an obstacle to relations with Pakistan but as a precondition for honest diplomacy moving forward.

Pakistan's Response

Pakistan's delegation, led by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acknowledged the issues but offered no firm commitments on reparations, apology, or repatriation timelines, according to bdnews24.com.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to visit Dhaka later this month (April 27–28) to continue discussions, though the outcome remains uncertain.

Conclusion

For Bangladesh, the events of 1971 are not ancient history but living wounds passed through generations and etched into the national consciousness.

This new assertive push for justice, framed directly by Bangladeshi officials and covered extensively by Bangladesh's own media outlets, suggests that Dhaka is no longer willing to let history be buried under the pretense of regional pragmatism.

As one editorial in New Age Bangladesh put it bluntly: "Without truth, there can be no reconciliation; without justice, there can be no peace."

References

• Dhaka Tribune – "Bangladesh asks Pakistan to seek apology for 1971"

• The Daily Star – "Dhaka Seeks Reparations, Repatriation of Stranded Pakistanis"

• bdnews24.com – "Bangladesh seeks 4.52bn compensation from Pakistan over 1971"

• New Age Bangladesh – Editorial: "Justice for 1971: A Demand, Not a Bargaining Chip"