Talks with Pakistan begin today
The fifth round of Bangladesh-Pakistan foreign secretary-level annual bilateral consultations will begin in Islamabad today.
Foreign office sources said Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes left Dhaka on Saturday to attend the two-day meeting with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Bashir.
Bangladesh will reiterate the issues of Pakistan's apology for the 1971 genocide, repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and sharing of assets.
Foreign ministry sources said Bangladesh expects an apology from Pakistan for the atrocities during the War of Liberation in 1971.
The consultation to be an ice-melting meeting for the bilateral ties, as the foreign secretaries are meeting for the first time since the Awami League-led grand alliance government assumed office in January 2009, they added.
Diplomatic sources said Dhaka believes a formal apology from Pakistan will be helpful in strengthening the bilateral ties and in carrying out the current trial of 'crimes against humanity' of the collaborators of Pakistani troops.
Mijarul Quayes is also expected to pay courtesy calls on the Pakistan president, prime minister and foreign minister.
Officials said discussions between the two countries will focus on a wide range of subjects of mutual importance, and regional and global interests. The last round of consultations was held in Dhaka in 2007.
Bilateral trade would also largely feature the talks and Bangladesh is optimistic that Islamabad would offer duty-free access to more of its products the way Bangladeshi jute and tea were treated.
Besides, Bangladesh would ask Pakistan to reduce the negative list of goods under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), to establish the Karachi-Chittagong direct sea link and to increase the frequency of flights between the two countries.
Both Bangladesh and Pakistan enjoys cordial relations, which are based on mutual respect, common religion, history and culture. The meeting will be culminated with the issuance of a joint statement, officials added.
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