Bangladesh celebrated its 37th anniversary of independence on Wednesday, amidst growing demand for holding trial of the 1971 war criminals and transferring power to an elected government through free and fair polls. It won independence from Pakistan after a nine-month war, but neither 90,000-odd captured Pakistani soldiers nor their Bangladeshi collaborators were tried for war crimes.
An Indian delegation, including 10 veterans of Bangladesh’s Liberation War, who arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday, attended the Independence Day programmes. Retired Lt Gen JFR Jacob, who is leading the 19-member delegation, gained fame for serving the Indian Army’s Eastern Command in 1971. The other visiting war veterans included Lt Gen (retd) PN Kathpalia, Lt Gen (retd) GS Bakshi, Maj Gen (retd) RK Khanna, Maj Gen (retd) Laxman Singh, Maj Gen (retd) Ashok Verma Kalyan, and others. It was the first time since 1971 that Indian war veterans attended the official observance of Bangladesh’s Independence Day. Liberation War sector commanders and others observed a one-minute blackout at midnight Tuesday night, demanding the trial of the war criminals. They stood in silence at the Central Shaheed Minar, a common rallying point, followed by a candle light vigil held to protest against the world’s worst genocide that took place 36 years ago.