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........

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