Eastern Command to host B’desh team for Vijay Diwas – Times of India

Kolkata: On this day in 1971, battles raged across what is now Bangladesh as Mukti Joddhas and Indian troops progressed towards Dhaka. Ten days later, history was created, giving birth to a new nation and the surrender of nearly 93,000 Pakistani troops to the Indian Army. Had things gone according to plan, the 49th anniversary of the 1971 War would have been celebrated in Kolkata. But the pandemic played spoilsport.
“Vijay Diwas, that is celebrated on December 16 every year to commemorate capitulation by the Pakistani forces, is a historic event. This was a war where people’s aspirations were supported by military force. The credit must be shared equally between the people of Bangladesh and the Indian armed forces. This was a joint effort by all three services of India, the Mukti Bahini and the people of Bangladesh. The Mukti Bahini effectively pinned down Pakistani forces before they were taken care of by our troops,” Major General V Sreehari, MGGS, EC, said on Saturday.
While several restrictions have been imposed at the EC headquarters of Fort William due to the pandemic, 30 Mukti Joddhas, their spouses and some serving military officers from Bangladesh will be hosted in Kolkata by the Army for over three days till Vijay Diwas on December 16.
“We are thankful that the Indian Army and Eastern Command considers us as well during the celebrations. As on previous years, there will be a delegation from Bangladesh to Kolkata. India provided morale and diplomatic support as well as material help during our war of independence. I am proud to be a part of Bangladesh’s first foreign mission (in Kolkata). I offer my tributes to all freedom fighters and the 1,661 Indian Army personnel who were martyred for the cause. It was only because of the wholehearted support by India that we got our independence in just nine months,” said Toufique Hasan, deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata.