DACCA: Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has described his visit to Bangladesh as a “journey of friendship”, and said that his talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were cordial. ... Speaking at the return banquet he gave in honour of the Bangladesh [PM] tonight [June 28], he said: “We look forward to the visit of the Sheikh to Pakistan”. …

Mr. Bhutto assured the people of Bangla­d­esh that the people of Pakistan were determ­ined to bring about very good relations with Bangladesh without any condition. … [Mr Bhutto] began his speech in Urdu, but later spoke briefly in English. He said Urdu was not a foreign language in Bangladesh. He knew that people here … understood [Urdu] well.

[Meanwhile,] speaking at a civic recepti­on … referring to the traumatic events of 1971, Mr Bhutto said: “What has been done cannot be undone, but we can do something to build a future different from the past. …” Mr Bhutto termed the former rulers dictators who ruled over the people of both regions and were not representatives of either of the two peoples. … Mr Bhutto said: “The people of Pakistan realise that the people of Bang­ladesh were subjected in 1971 to shameless repression and unspeakable horrors, and they share grief. …”

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024