 "Lt. General A.A. K. Niazi (right) signing the surrender document as Lt. General J.S. Aurora (left), Chief of Indian Army's eastern command, looks on on December 16, 1971. (Photo: AP)")
Amid strained ties over Bangladesh’s new regime’s tilt towards extremism and continuing violence against minorities in the country, India and Bangladesh are observing the ‘Vijay Diwas’ on Monday (December 16), which celebrates the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan’s rule in 1971.
While Bangladeshi freedom fighters had been waging a guerilla war against the Pakistani regime for several months with Indian assistance, the decisive factor was the Indian military intervention in East and West Pakistan during the 13-day full-scale war starting December 3. Indian forces joined Bangladeshi fighters in defeating Pakistan on both fronts and liberating Dhaka from Pakistan’s rule, forcing the surrender of more than 90,000 Pakistani personnel.
Despite the strained ties, India and Bangladesh continue to mark joint-observance of the historic anniversary.
Eight Indian military veterans of the 1971 war have reached Dhaka while eight Bangladeshi officers arrived in Kolkata to join functions there, officials told PTI.
Officials and the High Commission of India in Bangladesh told the news agency that two serving officers from both sides were part of the delegations in Dhaka and Kolkata to be part of the celebrations.
The Bangladeshi delegation in Kolkata comprises Mukti Jodhas personnel, the guerrillas who were part of the resistance against Pakistan’s rule in the country.
The celebration of the Bangladesh’s liberation would be at odds with the new political reality in the country. The new regime in the country of unelected leader Mohammed Yunus, propped by the military and anti-Sheikh Hasina agitators, is visibly pro-Pakistan. Islamist and radical groups friendly to Pakistan, such as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, have found a prominent role in Bangladeshi politics following Hasina’s ouster.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTogether, the new regime with the new power peddlers are chipping away at the legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the founder of Bangladesh who led the war of liberation against Pakistan.