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Bangladesh honours Indian Army veterans

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has lauded the honour bestowed on 10 of its 1971 India-Pakistan war veterans for the first time by the Bangladesh Army and said the gesture will further cement the relationship between the two countries in a “positive, healthy and conducive manner.”

The team returned to India on Thursday.

An Army official here said emotions ran high when the war veterans were invited by the Bangladesh Army Sector Commanders of the 1971 war to a commemorative function. The veterans were led by General J. F.R. Jacob.

Nostalgia

“Thanks to the invitation by the Chief of the Bangladesh Army, Gen. Moeen U. Ahmed, our war veterans were reunited with their comrades in arms and they recounted with nostalgia their memories of the battles they fought together.

The Mukti Jodhas [freedom fighters] declared that they were always welcome to Bangladesh as special friends,” he said.

The war veterans said the intention of their visit was to join the Independence Day celebrations, meet their old comrades-in-arms, the Mukti Jodhas, with whom they had fought shoulder to shoulder and spread the message that they would like to see a prosperous Bangladesh for whose liberation they fought and shed their blood along with the Mukti Bahini.

Although the contribution of Indian defence forces in Bangladesh’s War of Liberation has always been appreciated by Dhaka, this is the first time the Bangladesh Army is acknowledging their role by inviting them to their Independence and National Day celebrations.

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