Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Tarique Rahman’s remarks on the 1971 war on March 26, the country’s Independence Day from the erstwhile West Pakistan, have reignited a question that has never fully settled in Bangladesh’s public consciousness: Why has Pakistan never properly apologised for the atrocities committed?
On the night of March 25, 1971 — remembered in Bangladesh as a black night — the Pakistani military launched Operation Searchlight, a coordinated crackdown targeting civilians, students, intellectuals and political activists. In the months that followed, the Pakistani military, along with local collaborators, is estimated to have killed nearly three million people, subjected almost half a million women to systematic sexual violence, and forced around 10 million people to flee, many taking refuge in neighbouring India. For Bangladesh, this was a defining rupture that continues to shape political memory and identity and March 25, 1971 — Bangladesh’s genocide day serves as a reminder that.
During his 2002 visit to Dhaka, then Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf conveyed sorrow over what he described as the “excesses” of 1971. But, regret is not the same as apology. Neither did it involve an acceptance of responsibility, nor did it constitute a formal recognition of the scale and nature of what occurred. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan called the operation a “blunder” and suggested Pakistan should apologise. However, such views have never been translated into an official position of the State.
Successive Pakistani governments have avoided offering a formal apology, often arguing that the issue of 1971 was settled through earlier diplomatic agreements. They point in particular to the Simla Agreement and the Delhi Agreement, which dealt with prisoners of war, repatriation, and normalisation of ties. Bangladesh has consistently rejected that position. The result is a persistent gap between regret and apology, one that still reverberates across Bangladesh’s political and diplomatic discourse.
It reflects deeper underlying political constraints within Pakistan itself. The legacy of 1971 is closely tied to the institutional history of the Pakistani military, which has long shaped the country’s politics. A full apology would not only carry symbolic weight but could also be seen domestically as an admission of institutional failure and, implicitly, defeat in a war that recognises India’s role in Bangladesh’s independence. That makes such a step politically difficult, despite occasional calls within Pakistan for such acknowledgment.
In the absence of a formal apology, the atrocities and scars of that night continue to resurface in Bangladesh’s public discourse. This, in turn, shapes political positioning and limits the depth of bilateral engagement. Attempts to rebuild ties have surfaced over time, but without closure, they have remained incomplete.
Recent developments illustrate this clearly. During the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh revived engagement with Pakistan, with a restrained tone on 1971. Yet officials continued to raise unresolved issues, including a $4.52-billion claim linked to pre-1971 assets and a formal apology. Rahman’s remarks reinforce that position; regardless of shifts in domestic political leadership, the core expectations around historical accountability remain unchanged.
The issue extends beyond Bangladesh-Pakistan ties. India’s military support in ensuring Pakistan’s surrender on December 16, 1971, and the emergence of Bangladesh continue to shape regional positions. On multiple occasions, India has reiterated support for Bangladesh’s call for proper acknowledgment of the events of 1971.
South Asia has long struggled with building sustained frameworks of cooperation, whether through SAARC or other mechanisms. Bangladesh-Pakistan ties stay cautious, keeping trade low, connectivity weak, and political space limited. As a result, even modest regional initiatives face hesitation. The question of apology shapes how far South Asia can move toward meaningful integration.
The apology would not erase history, it would not undo the losses of 1971, nor would it resolve outstanding issue between the two countries. However, it would represent a shift, from ambiguity to acknowledgment. It would signal a willingness to confront history, rather than manage it through carefully worded expressions of regret.
For Bangladesh, the demand for an apology is about recognition, dignity, and resolution. Without it, each commemoration of March 25 inevitably reopens the same unresolved questions. Tarique Rahman’s remarks are a reminder that, in the absence of a clear acknowledgment from Pakistan, the brutality of the war continues occupying an active place in Bangladesh’s political and moral landscape.
More than 50 years on, reluctance to move beyond regret has become part of the story itself. If that remains the case, 1971 will continue to shape the present, with the past demanding to be addressed satisfactorily.
Syed Munir Khasru is senior director, IPAG India, a Dhaka-based think tank. The views expressed are personal
