More than fifty years after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the ghosts of that conflict still loom large over relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan. The war was not merely a separatist struggle but a bloody battle for survival, born out of decades of economic exploitation and political subjugation by West Pakistan.

When the Pakistani military launched Operation Searchlight on March 25, 1971, it marked the beginning of one of the most brutal crackdowns in modern history. The scale of the violence that followed was staggering—between 300,000 to 3 million people killed, mass sexual violence inflicted upon Bengali women, and an entire generation scarred by war. While Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign nation, the events of 1971 cemented an enduring hostility toward Pakistan.

More than five decades later, reconciliation remains elusive, not just because of past atrocities but due to Pakistan’s continued unwillingness to acknowledge its role in one of the darkest chapters of South Asian history.

Despite occasional diplomatic overtures, the two nations have fundamentally drifted apart—politically, economically, and ideologically—ensuring that the idea of reconciliation remains a mirage rather than a real possibility. Even with the recent regime change in Bangladesh and the formation of an interim government under Muhammad Yunus, any shifts in political tone remain superficial, unable to override the deeper historical and strategic fractures that continue to shape relations between Dhaka and Islamabad.

The war crimes of 1971 are not distant history for Bangladesh; they remain central to its national consciousness. Successive governments in Dhaka have sought a formal apology from Pakistan, but Islamabad has repeatedly evaded direct acknowledgement of culpability, offering only vague expressions of “regret." The refusal to recognise the systematic nature of the violence deepens mistrust between the two countries, masked at times by diplomatic niceties.

The 2013 war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh sought to bring to justice those who collaborated with the Pakistani military, but Pakistan condemned the trials, reinforcing the belief that Islamabad still........

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