Bangladesh to honour Indian soldiers killed in 1971 war

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has decided to honour nearly 2,000 Indian soldiers who were killed along with the freedom fighters in the 1971 war against Pakistan Army to liberate East Pakistan. She will convey her decision in this regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Bangladesh on June 6-7, officials from Dhaka told ET.

While Hasina is due to hand over a crest (trophy) to Modi to honour former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his contribution in the 1971 freedom movement, she will also express her interest in honouring the war heroes of India, officials said.

The decision in this regard was taken by Hasina herself, they said. As many as 1,984 Indian Army men were killed in the war, according to the Bangladesh government.

Officials said the Hasina government wants to address the long-pending issue of honouring the Indian war heroes at the earliest.

The Hasina government – which had earlier honoured other Indian supporters of Bangladesh freedom movement, including writers and politicians – proposes to hand over certificates and crests to the family members of the slain army men as an honour to further cement India-Bangladesh ties and fulfil an unfinished agenda. The Pakistan Army had surrendered to Indian Army in December 1971, leading to the creation of Bangladesh.