Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, came into
power in the aftermath of Bangladesh's separation from Pakistan. A heavy lobbying staged by Pakistan, other states such as the
People's Republic of China,
Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern nations, refused to recognize Bangladesh. In 1972, Pakistan left the
Commonwealth of Nations after it extended membership to Bangladesh. For its part, Bangladesh demanded an apology from Pakistan for
war crimes committed by the
Pakistani military and reparations. Bangladesh's development of
close ties with India, which had played a role in securing its independence, also angered Pakistan.
On the issue of Bangladesh’s application for membership to the UN, China, on Pakistan’s request, exercised its veto power for the first time to stall the move, which helped Pakistan to secure in a bargain the release of its POWs and the return of troops to their prewar positions.
[9]
In 1974, the relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan thawed. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman withdrew the bans on some pro-Pakistan organisations that had operated before Bangladesh's independence. Rahman visited
Lahore for an
Organization of the Islamic Conferencesummit, and in return the
Parliament of Pakistan authorised Bhutto to extend recognition to Bangladesh.
[10] In June 1974, Pakistani Prime Minister
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited Bangladesh and paid homage to Bangladesh's war memorial at
Savar Upazila.
[11] Both nations discussed an agreement in 1975 in which Bangladesh agreed to take up half of Pakistan's pre-1971 external debt provided Bangladesh received half of the country's pre-1971 assets and credit went unresolved.
[12]
Bangladesh–Pakistan relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia