Pakistan has expressed solidarity with the people of Bangladesh, expressing hope for a swift return to normalcy following recent political unrest. The statement came as a student-led protest movement over quotas in government jobs forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India.
Following Hasina’s ouster, the army took charge, and the death toll in the ensuing violence, which included attacks on temples, rose to 440. On Tuesday, President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament and appointed 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as the head of an upcoming interim government.
“The Government and people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh, sincerely hoping for a peaceful and swift return to normalcy,” the Foreign Office stated in a brief statement, representing their first reaction to the recent political changes in Bangladesh.
The statement continued, emphasizing the resilience of the Bangladeshi people: “The resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future”.
The events in Bangladesh come against the backdrop of the country’s history. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, with Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, Hasina’s father, playing a pivotal role in its creation, supported by India.
