Diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh stooped to new lows after the latter on Tuesday refused to accept Saqlain Syedah’s documents as Pakistan’s high commissioner to the country and sought a new name for the post. Diplomatic sources informed that the government of Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina Wajid did not mention any reason for refusing to accept Syedah’s credentials. The post had fallen vacant after the retirement of Rafiuzaman Siddiqui in February last year. Syedah was designated as new high commissioner to Bangladesh following her retirement. She is a PBS-20 officer of the foreign service of Pakistan. Ties between Islamabad and Dhaka have been deteriorating ever since Hasina Wajid’s government resumed the trial of 1971 ‘war crimes’ that had been suspended after the 1974 accord between Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
Last year, the Foreign Office had condemned ‘anti-Pakistan’ statements issued by the Bangladesh premier, in which she had urged the people of her country to punish those who still loved Pakistan despite living in an independent nation.
“The people of Bangladesh must respond to those who have been lost in their love for Pakistan. They must be punished. We must make them forget their love for Pakistan,” Wajid had said at an event in March last year.
Published in Daily Times, January 30th 2019.
