Pakistani envoy meets Bangladeshi PM in sign of warming ties

Pakistan s High Commissioner has met to Bangladesh's prime minister_ Sheikh Hasina. At the time_ both sides pledging to improve bilateral relations_ said a Pakistani foreign office statement released following the meeting. The statement came following a meeting between Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui and Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence.  The PM also said she believes in regional cooperation referring to the Bangladesh foreign policy  friendship to all_ malice to none _ reported the Bangladeshi state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency on the meeting. Citing a statement issued by the Prime Minister s Office_ state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reported Hasina as saying Bangladesh cannot forget and forgive atrocities committed by Pakistan.  Incidents of 1971 cannot be forgotten or forgiven_ The pain will remain forever_ she said. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan after a bloody nine-month war in 1971. Relations between the two South Asian states have since been patchy. India_ Pakistan s regional rival_ supported the Bangladeshi fighters for independence. There were credible reports of war crimes committed by Pakistani forces and their allies during that war. Since 2009_ Bangladesh has tried and sentenced a number of citizens on war crimes charges related to the nine-month war through a special tribunal. Relations between the two countries have remained strained in recent years. In July_ however_ Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke with his Bangladeshi counterpart by telephone_ a rare thaw. Analysts say they do not believe relations will be restored across the board_ but that some improvements may be forthcoming.  I would not say there has been significant change in the relationship_ but certainly some ice has been broken_ says Zahid Hussain_ an Islamabad-based analyst and journalist. He said he believed ties could begin to increase in terms of trade and investment_ but other progress was unlikely. Imtiaz Ahmed_ Professor of International Relations at Dhaka University_ told that the improvement in bilateral ties between Islamabad and Dhaka is highly unlikely until Pakistan offers an official apology for the alleged war crimes during the 1971 war. On the economic front_ Ahmed said that there was room to boost trade between the two countries.  The two countries have a bilateral trade of some $500m.