Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
As part of the annual tradition, Bangladesh and India exchanged war veterans and serving officers to mark Bangladesh’s 54th Victory Day on December 16, commemorating the 1971 Liberation War. Eight Indian war veterans and two serving officers of the Indian Armed Forces arrived in Dhaka on Monday and took part in various Victory Day programmes on Tuesday, sharing memories of the Liberation War.
Similarly, eight Bangladeshi freedom fighters and two serving officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces visited Kolkata on Sunday to join the celebrations there, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said. The exchange, the High Commission noted, highlights the “unique friendship” between the two nations and honours the “shared sacrifices” of their armed forces during the 1971 war.
India also conveyed greetings on the occasion. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wrote on X: “Greetings to Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain, the Interim Government and the people of Bangladesh on Bijoy Dibosh.” Bangladesh observed Victory Day on Tuesday with programmes paying tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War.