How FPJ covered the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 The green-and-white Pakistani flag has vanished from Dacca. Fluttering in its place is the Bangla Desh flag, proclaiming a new State, based, not on religious fanaticism and communal hatred, but on democracy and secularism. Thus begins the Free Press Journal s front page on December 17, 1971, under a massive headline that proclaims Bangladesh has been liberated.
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 that ended on December 16 also brought the Bangladesh Liberation War to a successful conclusion. The Pakistani Instrument of Surrender was signed on December 16 - an occasion marked as Vijay Diwas by the Indian Army. This also brought about the surrender of 93,000 soldiers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, and the creation of a new country known as Bangladesh.