DHAKA, Oct 1, 2024 (BSS) - Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today said that while Bangladesh's interim government is open to improving bilateral relations with Pakistan while the memory of 1971 Liberation War remains pivotal.

"1971 is always in our hearts," Hossain said in response to a query on whether 1971 issue was raised during the meeting between Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

During a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign adviser described the encounter with the Pakistani prime minister as a "courtesy meeting."

"We don't bring up sensitive issues in informal settings like these. When we engage in formal talks, those matters will be addressed," he clarified.

The foreign adviser said that Bangladesh is yet to signal any willingness to improve ties with Pakistan without addressing the events of 1971.

"Personally, I believe relations would improve if Pakistani government have the courage to acknowledge what happened in 1971 and offer a sincere apology," he said, adding that Dhaka is yet to see any meaningful initiative from Islamabad to this end.