ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and “sincerely” hoped a peaceful and swift return of normalcy following deadly protests that led to the end of 15-year tenure of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.

Pakistan’s official response on the situation in Bangladesh comes two days after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India after students led protesters stormed her official residence following weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations which claimed more than 300 lives.

“The government and people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh, sincerely hoping for a peaceful and swift return to normalcy,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while sharing the official response of Pakistan on the situation in Bangladesh.

The widespread violent protests that started in July against public sector job quotas for families of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war culminated in an end to the 15-year long tenure of Sheikh Hasina in power.

The deadly demonstrations forced the Bangladeshi army to step in, with the country’s army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman already announced formation of an interim government and Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus is set to lead the caretaker setup.

“We are confident that the resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future,” Baloch expressed the hope.

Pakistan-Bangladesh ties have been strained for years during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure for her anti-Pakistan policies.

Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina supported India’s stance to boycott the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in 2016. The Summit which was scheduled to be held on 15–19 November 2016, but got cancelled after India together with Bangladesh continued their boycott.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024