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Dhaka to honour Indian Army martyrs

Sandeep Dikshit

— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

General Moeen U. Ahmed, the Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh, (left) with Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor during the presentation of horses to Bangladesh Army after a guard of honour in New Delhi, on Monday.

NEW DELHI: Dhaka has for the first time agreed to honour the memory of Indian Army soldiers who were martyred in the war for liberation of Bangladesh. This was decided during a meeting here on Monday between the Chief of the Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor, and his visiting Bangladeshi counterpart, General Moeen U. Ahmed, highly placed sources said.

The martyred soldiers are likely to be remembered officially by Bangladesh on March 25, the day when the Pakistan Army began ‘Operation Searchlight,’ a brutal campaign of genocide and rape against the people of East Pakistan and the Awami League responded by declaring Independence.

With India providing logistic support to the resistance army Mukti Bahini, Pakistan launched air strikes on the country, triggering off the Army action led at the theatre level by Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora under the leadership of the Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal [then Gen.] Sam Manekshaw.

The Indian Army overran Pakistan Army positions in 13 days, leading to one of the biggest surrenders on the Dhaka Racecourse on December 16, 1971.

New era of ties

The Bangladesh Army Chief had stated earlier in the day that his maiden visit was aimed at ushering “in a new era of close cooperation between the two armies.”

The stage for fruitful dialogue between Gen. Ahmed, the main force behind the caretaker government in Dhaka, and the political leadership in New Delhi was set with Bangladesh accepting India’s terms for a train service between the two countries.

The decision to honour martyred Indian Army soldiers is expected to contribute even more to the desire between both sides to rid of acrimony in their bilateral relationship.

India’s gift

India also signalled the importance it attached to the General’s visit by gifting him two stallions and four mares. The six horses were handed over by General Kapoor. Both Army chiefs later held one-to-one talks which were followed by delegation-level discussions.

General Ahmed would call on President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan.

The series of high-level meetings chalked out for General Ahmed indicates that New Delhi is willing to do business with whoever is in power in Dhaka.

For the long-term, India is keen to improve ties with Bangladesh to an extent that it gets transit rights for its goods to the northeast and the Chittagong port as well as a commitment on transit of gas from Myanmar and, possibly, the northeastern states. For the immediate future, it favours a commitment from the General to clamp down on anti-India militants perceived to be camping on the Bangladeshi territory.

The need to reduce tensions on the Indo-Bangla border will figure in the discussions as will illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is perceived as a two-way issue — while marginalised Bangladeshis migrate for livelihood prospects to India, skilled persons from India including artisans and doctors also work across the border without valid permits.

In return, India would be willing to operationalise Mr. Mukherjee’s promise made last November to make a one-time exception and export five lakh tonnes of rice, the staple food of Bangladesh. The country has been affected by a shortage of the cereal, leading to an increase in prices and general disaffection after natural calamities struck last year.

Balance of trade

Union Ministers here have also spoken of the possibility of reducing Bangladesh’s adverse balance of trade with India by encouraging Indian investments whose products could be re-exported.

A major multi-project proposal by the Tatas is pending a decision by the Bangladesh authorities.

Besides the mandatory visit to the Taj Mahal, General Ahmed will visit the Ajmer Sharif dargah, a symbol of syncretism.

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