Kissinger owed us an apology for 1971 war: Bangladesh foreign minister

WHILE the world mourned the death of former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger on Wednesday (29), the foreign minister of Bangladesh expressed a strong criticism of the diplomat for his role in the 1971 liberation war that led to the creation of the South Asian nation.

According to a report by WION, AK Abdul Momen said Kissinger backed the military regime of Pakistan (then West Pakistan) and did not apologise to the people of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) for his actions.

Kissinger, who played a major role in shaping the US foreign policy in the Cold War era, passed away in Connecticut at the age of 100.

Read: Kissinger's hate-love connect with India went on for decades

While the Bangladeshi diplomat praised Kissinger's legacy as a diplomat and his role in designing Washington's foreign policy, he also pointed out the latter's actions during the 1971 India-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. The US was against the liberation of the South Asian country and had backed the then West Pakistan which also had the support of China.

Kissinger and then US president Richard Nixon also had a strong dislike for the Indian leadership, including former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Read: When ping pong diplomacy paved way for Kissinger's historic China visit

"In 1971, he (Kissinger) was dead against the people of the then East Pakistan," Momen said, according to the WION report. 

The Bangladeshi minister also highlighted Kissinger's role in violating "all American laws, international laws to support Pakistani military junta and also supplied weapons to illegally occupying forces of Pakistan".

The Bangladesh liberation struggle saw the West Pakistani regime unleashing brutal military force in the then East Pakistan, resulting in deaths of millions and countless people turning refugees and fleeing to India. Momen said it was sad that "a smart man" supported such inhumane things, adding that it was "unacceptable".

"In order to satisfy General Yahya [Khan], he did all those mischievous things, so it's very sad," Momen said, the WION report added. Yahya Khan was the president of Pakistan and a military leader.

"We feel that he should have apologised to the people of Bangladesh for what he has done—the genocide, mass killing of the people of then East Pakistan," Momen was quoted as saying by WION.

"That is sad."