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Today's Paper | May 04, 2024

Updated 01 Nov, 2017 07:41pm

Bangladesh summons Pakistani envoy over video showing 'distorted historical facts'

Bangladesh's foreign ministry on Wednesday registered a protest with Pakistan High Commissioner Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui against a video posted on the Pakistan High Commission's webpage, saying that it "distorted historical facts" about Bangladesh's independence, BBC Urdu reported.

The video posted on the High Commission's website stated that Bangladesh's first president Sheikh Mujibur Rehman had desired self-rule for Bangladesh, not independence, BBC Urdu reported, quoting a statement issued by the foreign ministry in Dhaka.

According to the statement, Secretary (Europe, Africa, America) Qamarul Ahsan registered the protest with Siddiqui, who was summoned by the foreign ministry, and asked for an apology for the video.

"To state that Sheikh Mujib did not desire independence is an attempt to distort historical facts," said the BBC Urdu article quoting the official statement.

"This is deliberate misuse of social media by the High Commission," read the statement. "This is a violation of diplomatic norms. This kind of propaganda will cause harm to mutual cooperation [between Pakistan and Bangladesh]."

While speaking to the media after registering the protest with the high commissioner, the secretary said that Siddiqui had apologised for the video and removed it from the website, BBC Urdu said.

"Sharing of a video by a third party cannot be attributed to Pakistan High Commission Dhaka," the Foreign Office said in response to the protest.

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