Taher said it is up to governments to resolve outstanding issues with Pakistan

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher has said that outstanding issues between Bangladesh and Pakistan should be dealt with at the government level.

He made the remarks after meeting Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is currently in Dhaka on an official visit.

The meeting, held Saturday afternoon at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, brought together Jamaat leaders led by Taher and the visiting minister.

According to Taher, the talks touched on mutual interests, regional trade, and ways to strengthen bilateral ties, as well as Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections.

“We discussed enhancing relations with a brotherly Muslim country and revitalising SAARC to make it more active and effective,” Taher told reporters afterward.

Asked about efforts to move past nearly 15 years of strained relations, he said Bangladesh’s foreign policy in recent years had been “somewhat one-sided.”

“Now, both the government of Bangladesh and all of us believe it is important to maintain good relations with every neighbour in the region. Both sides stressed this,” he added.

Taher also noted that Pakistan’s deputy prime minister is scheduled to meet with Bangladesh government officials tomorrow.

“Unresolved issues in bilateral relations should be resolved swiftly in a conducive environment,” he said.

In response to a question on whether the legacy of 1971 was raised, Taher replied, “These are matters for the two governments to discuss. We hope the government will take them up.”

On the national elections, he said the subject came up only briefly and was not a central part of the discussion.

He added that the meeting also touched on the need for unity among Muslim countries in the face of global aggression against Muslims, stressing the importance of standing together for justice and humanity.