Expressing gratitude to the Indian Armed Forces, members of a visiting Bangladesh delegation said that the country would not have attained liberation from Pakistan as fast as it did without the Indian forces.
I was in school when the war broke out and we fled to Bengal in the dark of the night. But in India, we were treated with love and were offered stay at refugee quarters. I was also offered nursing training here. After a few months, we went back to our home in Bangladesh’s Manikganj, where I undertook training in guerrilla warfare .
We gained freedom following a few months of clashes. But I can never forget the love and respect I received in India during my time of crisis,” said Rekha Rani Goon , the only woman liberation warrior among the 61-strong Bangladeshi delegation team. The Bangladesh delegation included 29 Mukti Joddhas with their family members.
Since then, relations between the two countries have been based on mutual respect and cooperation. The two nations not only share ancient history and culture, but in contemporary times, they also maintain excellent bilateral relations built on the foundations of strong people-to-people contact and mutual response GOC- in – C ,Eastern Command, Lt. Gen. Rana Pratap Kalita said in his media briefing.
Bangladesh delegation leader Maj Gen Md Mahbubur Rashid paid tribute to the soldiers of the Indian Army and lauded the contributions and support of Indians for Bangladesh in its struggle for freedom.
Stating that Bangladesh has not forgotten the contribution of Indian Armed Forces, Bangladesh MP Quazi Rosy said that India extended all help to the people of erstwhile East Pakistan to attain freedom.
“Without you (Indian Armed Forces), we would not have been able to attain independence so fast. Vietnam fought for nine years and we fought for nine months only and it was possible because of you,” Rosy, head of a Bangladesh delegation for ‘Vijay Diwas’ (victory day) celebrations to mark India’s win over Pakistan in the 1971 war and birth of Bangladesh, said.
Report- Pratyusha Mukherjee
Source: Army Authorities
