Better late than never

PM to honour fallen Indian soldiers of 1971

Before joining Bangladeshi freedom fighters on December 3, 1971, a soldier from a village in the Indian state Punjab would not definitely know the name of another village in Tangail where he met his martyrdom while fighting along with his Bangladeshi colleagues against Pakistani troops for the War of Independence.
Prior to being ordered to march towards Bangladesh, that soldier must have had so many dreams surrounding his career, his parents, wife, children and relatives. But, all of his dreams were gone for the cause of independence of another country. This is nothing but a supreme sacrifice that undoubtedly indebted a whole nation.
Now, it is time to pay back. Today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to start the process of honouring 1,661 Indian soldiers who gave their lives in 1971. It is worth mentioning that there is confusion as to how many Indian soldiers have died in the war. But, according to Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, they are now working on the figure of 1,661 soldiers.
In the first phase, Prime Minister Hasina will honour seven fallen soldiers at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi Cantonment in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Those who are going to be honoured by the Prime Minister are Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Major Anup Singh Gehlaut, Subedar Malkit Singh, Havildar Sugon Singh, Navy Lieutenant Samir Das, Squadron Leader AB Sumanta and Border Security Force’s Lance Nayek Mohini Ranjan Chakrabarty.
Hasina will hand over Muktijuddha Sammanana Padak and citations to the families of the seven soldiers.
It took almost 45 years for Bangladesh to officially honour the fallen Indian soldiers, but it is always better late than never.
This gesture reflects that Bangladesh does not forget the contributions of foreigners to the country’s war of independence.
Following the inauguration of the process today, Bangladeshi high officials will later, with the help of Indian military, honour the remaining soldiers at different cantonments during their visits.
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh in June, 2015, Hasina expressed her desire to honour the fallen soldiers.
The Indian prime minister approved the idea instantly with appreciation and agreed to facilitate to honour the soldiers.
Earlier, Bangladesh honoured a significant number of foreign friends who contributed to the war of independence. Predominantly Indians, the awardees included heads of state and governments, politicians, top military officials, writers, journalists and singers.
The process began on July 25, 2012 when late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was conferred with Independence Award, the highest for a foreigner. Her daughter-in-law and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi received the award from President Abdul Hamid on behalf of her mother-in-law, who was the Indian prime minister during the War of Independence.

Better late than never

PM to honour fallen Indian soldiers of 1971

Before joining Bangladeshi freedom fighters on December 3, 1971, a soldier from a village in the Indian state Punjab would not definitely know the name of another village in Tangail where he met his martyrdom while fighting along with his Bangladeshi colleagues against Pakistani troops for the War of Independence. Prior to being ordered to march towards Bangladesh, that soldier must have had so many dreams surrounding his career, his parents, wife, children and relatives. But, all of his dreams were gone for the cause of independence of another country. This is nothing but a supreme sacrifice that undoubtedly indebted a whole nation. Now, it is time to pay back. Today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to start the process of honouring 1,661 Indian soldiers who gave their lives in 1971. It is worth mentioning that there is confusion as to how many Indian soldiers have died in the war. But, according to Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, they are now working on the figure of 1,661 soldiers. In the first phase, Prime Minister Hasina will honour seven fallen soldiers at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi Cantonment in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Those who are going to be honoured by the Prime Minister are Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Major Anup Singh Gehlaut, Subedar Malkit Singh, Havildar Sugon Singh, Navy Lieutenant Samir Das, Squadron Leader AB Sumanta and Border Security Forces Lance Nayek Mohini Ranjan Chakrabarty. Hasina will hand over Muktijuddha Sammanana Padak and citations to the families of the seven soldiers. It took almost 45 years for Bangladesh to officially honour the fallen Indian soldiers, but it is always better late than never. This gesture reflects that Bangladesh does not forget the contributions of foreigners to the countrys war of independence. Following the inauguration of the process today, Bangladeshi high officials will later, with the help of Indian military, honour the remaining soldiers at different cantonments during their visits. When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh in June, 2015, Hasina expressed her desire to honour the fallen soldiers. The Indian prime minister approved the idea instantly with appreciation and agreed to facilitate to honour the soldiers. Earlier, Bangladesh honoured a significant number of foreign friends who contributed to the war of independence. Predominantly Indians, the awardees included heads of state and governments, politicians, top military officials, writers, journalists and singers. The process began on July 25, 2012 when late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was conferred with Independence Award, the highest for a foreigner. Her daughter-in-law and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi received the award from President Abdul Hamid on behalf of her mother-in-law, who was the Indian prime minister during the War of Independence.