A lasting cause of humiliation for Pakistan - General Ameer Abdullah Khan Niazi signing the instrument of surrender on 16 December 1971 in the presence of Lt. Gen. Aurora

An award giving ceremony will be held after the wreath laying at Vijay Smarak at Fort William on December 16 morning

Kolkata: In a show of respect and recognition, Bangladesh will honour the Indian armed forces’ martyrs during this year’s Vijay Diwas celebrations at the Eastern Command Headquarters, Fort William, on December 16 for their supreme sacrifice in the 1971 Liberation War, which marked the birth of the neighbouring country.

Deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata Toufique Hasan announced this on Saturday at a curtain raiser of Vijay Diwas celebrations at Fort William in presence of Major General N D Prasad, the MGGS of Headquarter Eastern Command. He was also accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Ramiz Uddin Mohammed Waseem, assistant defence attache of Bangladesh in India to the event. Mr Hasan said, “This is the second time Bangladesh is going to bestow the Bangladesh Liberation War honours to the Indian armed forces’ martyrs. A nine-member delegation led by minister of Liberation War Affairs A K Mozzamel Haque will come here from Bangladesh.”

He added, “They will hand over the awards to family members of around 17 to 25 Indian martyrs. The awards will include a silver plaque, a certificate, a speech of Bangladesh PM, two books written by our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahaman, a prison diary and an unfinished memoir.”

An award giving ceremony will be held after the wreath laying at Vijay Smarak at Fort William on December 16 morning. Mr Hasan elaborated, “This will be the added feature of this year’s Vijay Diwas celebrations. This is also a uique thing that a country is honouring the martyrs of its neighbour. In April last year Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed honoured the family members of seven such Indian soldiers in New Delhi in presence of Indian PM Narendra Modi. So far we have records of 1,600 Indian martyrs with us.”

Maj Gen Prasad said, “We have been working together for the greater good of the region.” This year a Bangladeshi delegation of 72 members comprising of 30 Mukti Jodhas, six serving officers of the Bangladesh armed forces along with their spouses are participating in the celebrations at Fort William.