Many in Bangladesh feel it would have been desirable that the invitation should have come from President Musharraf who is the chief executive of Pakistan, not the Prime Minister Aziz. It is perceived widely that the all-powerful military President (current army chief as well) is trying to make the civilian Prime Minister's political profile high enough to provide the image of democracy in the country.

The bottom line is that the Pakistan Prime Minister's position is comparable to that of French Prime Minister and genuine democracy as we understand today does not exist because the President can dismiss the Prime Minister and dissolve parliament as he wishes.

The Bangladeshi Prime Minister's bilateral trip to Pakistan, one of the important members of Saarc, constitutes a good gesture. Furthermore Bangladesh's Prime Minister is currently holding the post of Chairperson of Saarc.

No doubt the visit of the Prime Minister to Islamabad is likely to strengthen the existing ties between the two countries. Over the years Bangladesh and Pakistan have come to terms to normalise and consolidate their relations to the mutual benefit of the people of both the countries.

Brief background of bilateral relations
The relations commenced on a wrong foot in 1974 with Bangladesh when Pakistan, under pressure from Islamic countries, had to finally recognize Bangladesh. During the same year in June, Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's visit to Bangladesh has been described as a "diplomatic debacle" for his arrogance. Bhutto failed to seize the opportunity given by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to nomalise bilateral relations because of his inadequate leadership

Full diplomatic relations commenced only in 1976 during Khondaker Mostaque Ahmed's regime. Pakistan sent a very senior retired civil servant M. Khurshid (who had worked in former East Pakistan ) as Pakistan's first Ambassador.

Since then there have been exchange of several visits at the highest political level. The first visit was undertaken by President Ziaur Rahman to Pakistan in September 1977 and the last visit of Pakistan's military President Pervez Musharraf to Bangladesh took place in July 2002.

Some underlying factors in Bangladesh-Pakistan relations
With Pakistan, many political observers believe Bangladesh has to take a slow but steady path in developing relations. There are some factors that underpin relations with Pakistan against the background of 1971:

An apology is a genuine expression of regret and is the key element of reconciliation. An apology represents a repentant mind and helps to heal past wounds. While apology relates to past activities, reconciliation ushers in a new relation.

There is a strong feeling among most people of Bangladesh that Pakistan should publicly apologise to the people of Bangladesh for the atrocities perpetrated by Pakistan army in 1971.

According to an interview in 1998 by a Bangladeshi historian and journalists with General Niazi who surrendered Pakistani army to Joint Indian and Bangladeshi forces on December 16, 1971, he admitted that approximately thirty thousand Hindus were killed and many more Bangladeshi freedom fighters in 1971 (Bangladesh Liberation War: Views from Pakistan, 2005 UPL, Dhaka) In the same book, General Rao Forman Ali, one of the architects of the military action on Bangladeshi people on March 26, 1971 acknowledged that between 40,000 to 50,000 Bangladeshis were killed.

No clear cut official apology was ever made by Pakistan. Public apology to victims or their relatives is nothing new. Germany and Japan expressed several times apology and regret for the horrors on people of the occupied countries during the Second World War.

Although regret was expressed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1998 and President Musharraf in 2002, the words used by both of them were vague and meant just about whatever anyone wanted them to mean. Many interpreted their words as if both sides made mistakes in 1971. This is neither acceptable to the people of Bangladesh nor a true version of events of 1971.

It is not understood why Pakistan is hesitant to offer an apology to the people of Bangladesh. Pakistan army consists of a new generation and regret for past actions by the military in 1971 does not reflect their actions as current senior military officers are not likely to be involved in the sorry saga of 1971. Then why the hesitation for a public apology from Pakistan government?

Another important aspect of Bangladesh-Pakistan relations is the release of the Report of the Hamoodur Rahman Commission on the 1971 tragedy. Bangladesh people together with many people of Pakistan want to know exactly who were responsible for the appalling events in 1971. The secrecy of the report by Pakistan government does not reflect well for them and this action could be interpreted to mean that the successive Pakistan governments have not been sincere to the people of Bangladesh to repair the relations.

It is reported that one senior retired Pakistani civil servant Syed Alamdar Raza (CSP of 1951 batch, he was retired in 1988) filed a writ petition to the High Court some years ago for release of the report but the writ petition has not yet disposed of until this day.

On the South Asian political scene, one may not forget that the rivalry between India and Pakistan casts a shadow on bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan. To overlook this aspect is to ignore a cold political reality.

Too close relations for Bangladesh with Pakistan may not be comfortable or welcome to India against the background of India's supporting role in the war of independence of Bangladesh. It would not be incorrect to say that the more India is perceived, either rightly or wrongly to dominate Bangladesh, the more Bangladesh is likely to offset it by moving closer to Pakistan. If that occurs, India is likely to consider it an unfriendly act on its interests.

Another development we may not lose sight of is the existence of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan together with the continuing support of some section for the Talibans, despite President Musharraf's brave efforts to steer Pakistan towards religious moderation. The growing emergence of Islamic orthodoxy in politics is not comfortable for the majority of people in Bangladesh at a time when Bangladesh's national security is being rocked by Islamic extremist organizations in the country.

Some political observers view that the prevalence of Islamic extremism in Pakistan and in Bangladesh may work against closer relations with Bangladesh, which is a multi-religious country with more than 12 million non-Muslims. Furthermore, many Bangladesh women fear that their new-found freedom to work in public places will be threatened to the detriment of their rights if close relations develop between fanatic Islamic groups of both countries.

Current bilateral relations
The existing bilateral relations may be described as diplomatically correct. One of the important yardsticks of growing relations is to look at the statistics of bilateral trade. Trade between the two countries as of 2004 stood at $100 million. Pakistan has established 54 ventures in Bangladesh and they concentrate on a range of non-metallic products, electric bulbs, tube-lights, marble and stone products, food, beverages, tobacco, and packages for goods.

It is expected that with the ratification of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta), bilateral trade is expected to substantially grow because both countries are bound under Safta to reduce gradually their custom duties to 5 percent (seven years for Pakistan and ten years for Bangladesh). Safta culminates clear commitments of Saarc countries made at the Kathmandu Summit in October 2002 about a South Asian Economic Union.

Since the inception of diplomatic relations, both countries concluded several agreements such as Joint Economic Commission, joint business agreements, agreement on air and shipping lines, and cultural agreements.

Pending bilateral issues
There are two issues that need to be amicably resolved. They are: (a) division of assets of united Pakistan, and (b) repatriation of stranded Pakistanis (so-called "Biharis") to Pakistan.

On the division of assets, successive governments in Pakistan were reluctant to discuss the substance of the issue. According to a moderate estimate, Bangladesh has a claim of at least $4 billion, and the estimate has been based some years ago on assumptions with respect to retention of financial assets, creation of internal capital, and external debt settlement.

In the past, Pakistan did not agree to constitute a Bangladesh-Pakistan committee to examine the issue of division of assets for a final settlement. There is a perception in Pakistan that the longer time it takes to discuss, the less Bangladesh will raise the issue. This is a misplaced view for Pakistan.

On the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis ("Biharis") in Bangladesh, it is a humanitarian issue. Their mother tongue is Urdu and they owed allegiance to Pakistan in 1972. Their relations live in Pakistan. Pakistan has practically abandoned them. Section 16-A of the 1978 Ordinance stripped the "Biharis" of the rights of citizenship of Pakistan.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan was the only leader who agreed to take 325 "Beharis" in Pakistan in 1993. Other leaders of Pakistan have consistently ignored the problem. So also has the international community, including the Islamic world.

Pakistan cannot wash its hands of the human rights issue of "Biharis" stranded in Bangladesh as it will have an impact on its relations with Bangladesh. Justice does not lapse with the passage of time.

Conclusion
Bangladesh's relations with Pakistan continue to be difficult against the background of the birth of Bangladesh in 1971. The annual observance of the Independence Day on March 26 and the Victory Day on December 16 continues to remind the people of Bangladesh of the dark days of 1971. The psyche complicates relations with Pakistan.

With the present generation of the people of Bangladesh, the vivid memory of the atrocities by Pakistan army will not go away and lingers on. If public apology is tended by Pakistan, victims or relatives of victims may forgive but will not forget of tragic events of 1971.

Political leaders of Bangladesh may move forward in beneficial relations with Pakistan, ensuring that they carry the people with them by not moving too quickly against the background of 1971. The leaders must only move so far ahead of the people that the shift in public opinion required is achievable. They carry the burden to persuade people that the nature of relations they wish to build is acceptable to the majority of people in Bangladesh.

Barrister Harun ur Rashid is a former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.