Bangladesh marks 50 years of win over Pakistan; President attends Victory Day Parade as ‘Guest of Honour’
Dhaka: President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday attended the Victory Day Parade as the Guest of Honour to mark Bangladesh's 50 years of victory in the Liberation War against Pakistan.
A 122-member-strong tri-services contingent from India participated in the parade, which was also watched by Bangladesh President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Ministers, diplomats and other dignitaries were also present at the National Parade Ground.
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President Ram Nath Kovind is here on a maiden three-day state visit. Prime Minister Hasina was seen excitedly applauding the march-past, the flypast, aerobatics display, armoury acquisitions of different regiments and contingents of the armed forces, on the parade ground.
Earlier, President Hamid and Prime Minister Hasina paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar.
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Victory came at a cost
On this day in 1971, Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, heading 93,000 Pakistani troops, surrendered to the Indian Army under the command of Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora in Dhaka, and East Pakistan was declared as the newly liberated Bangladesh.
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The day is not just memorable for Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, but also for India. The Bangladesh Liberation War, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, also marks 50 years of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. On December 16-17, 1971, over 92,000 West Pakistani soldiers, sailors, airmen, paramilitary personnel, policemen and civilians surrendered to India in East Pakistan after 13 days of the war. At least 12,189 personnel of India’s armed forces were either killed, reported missing or left wounded.
-PTC News
