Bangladesh, Pakistan to hold FS-level talks today after 15 years

After more than 15 years, a foreign secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and Pakistan is being held on Thursday in Dhaka. At the meeting, Bangladesh will officially raise the longstanding claim of $4.52 billion as its fair share of the assets of undivided Pakistan.

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch will lead the Bangladesh and Pakistan sides respectively at the FOC to be held at state guest house Padma.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions will focus on various aspects of bilateral relations, with special importance given to unresolved historical issues. Bangladesh will raise the matter of its share in funds such as provident funds, savings certificates, and other financial entitlements. The last such meeting between the two countries was held in 2010.

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of the scheduled talks. On Thursday morning, she will take part in the official meeting, followed by a lunch event. Later in the day, she is expected to meet with Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Tawhid Hossain and Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus. Prior to the talks, she also met with officials at the Pakistani embassy in Dhaka and held discussions with Pakistani businessmen and other stakeholders living in Bangladesh.

According to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission, and Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh is claiming $4.52 billion from Pakistan for its share of pre-1971 assets. A major portion includes $200 million in foreign aid sent to then East Pakistan after the 1970 cyclone, which was later transferred from the Dhaka branch of the State Bank of Pakistan to its Lahore branch during the Liberation War.

In addition, provident funds and savings certificates belonging to government employees who moved from Pakistan to Bangladesh have not been returned. As per Planning Commission data, around 9 million taka in provident funds remain withheld by the Pakistani government. Another 15.7 million taka deposited in the Karachi branch of Rupali Bank has also not been returned. Bangladesh also claims 4.35 billion rupees as its share of working capital and another 600 million rupees from the banking sector of Pakistan as of December 16, 1971.

Through this meeting, Bangladesh hopes to make progress on resolving these long-pending issues.