KARACHI: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday said that Pakistan had moved past “bitter memories” and urged the forging of a new future with Bang­ladesh amid the recent warming of ties between the two countries.

Ever since a popular uprising in Bangladesh toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in August last year, there has been a thaw in ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement.

The Maulana is currently on a visit to the country and called for stron­ger ties, telling a large religious gathering that a shared “unity of faith was a stronger bond between the two nations that cannot be abolished”.

Addressing a gathering of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam members at Dha­ka’s Bangladesh-China Friendship Conf­erence Centre as the chief guest with several other Bengali political parties in attendance, the Maulana said: “Pakistan wants Bangladesh’s prosperity and stability, has forgotten the bitter memories of the past.”

He reiterated that the people of Pakistan had “forgotten the old bitter memories”, adding that now “a new future has to be carved”.

The JUI-F chief added Pakistan saw Bangladesh as a “brother”. “We were one, and God willing, we will remain one. Rel­ations between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be strengthened by the spirit of goodwill,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2025