Against this backdrop, my first visit to Dhaka carried a simple but powerful message repeatedly entrusted to me by colleagues and acquaintances in Pakistan: “Please tell our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters that Pakistanis love you.” This sentiment, expressed without hesitation, reflects a quiet but meaningful shift, one that prioritises empathy over denial and connection over distance. My five days in Dhaka offered a profoundly new perspective on Bangladesh and its long-fractured ties with Pakistan. It felt, in many ways, like encountering a part of our shared past that had been lost. Even though I was not born at that time, a sense of remorse lingered, shaped not by inherited guilt but by historical awareness. The warmth, care, and protection I received during my stay were both unexpected and deeply moving.

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One striking cultural irony stood out: many Bangladeshis I met could understand Urdu, largely due to the popularity of Pakistani television dramas, but I could barely understand Bangla. The few words I quickly learned were those I heard most often in social interactions: Bondhu friend), Bhalobashi (love you), and Shundor beautiful). These words, simple as they were, captured the spirit of my experience far more eloquently than any formal diplomatic statement could. Bangladesh today stands as a society........

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