I had set the surrender stage at Race Course: Indian Brig
BSS
16th December, 2020 08:51:26
Bangladesh emerged as the free capital of an independent nation as Pakistani military commander Lieutenant General AAK Niazi signed the document conceding defeat in world’s first ever such surrender ceremony in public on December 16, 1971.
But it remained largely unknown how the stage was set in haste and who was entrusted with the task until 2012 when an Indian war veteran, Brigadier General Sant Singh, told BSS reporter he was the man who arranged the ceremony.
Singh, whom the freedom fighters in 1971 fondly called “Brigadier Babaji” because of his attire – typical Shikh turban and beard and affectionate attitude – was talking to this reporter on the sidelines of a ceremony in Dhaka where he along with several other foreigners were awarded with “Friends of Liberation War Honour”.
NEW DELHI: Today marks the beginning of the 50-years celebrations of the victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, that saw the birth of Bangladesh as a nation and its liberation from Pakistani rule. The war concluded with the fall of Dhaka and surrender of Pakistani forces on Dec 16, 1971. The day is observed as Vijay Diwas in India.
Here are the highlights of the conflict:
This was one of the shortest military conflicts in history, lasting just 13 days.
The war resulted in the largest military surrenders since World War II, when the Pakistan Army chief General Niazi surrendered with 93,000 of his troops.
I had set the surrender stage at Race Course: Indian Brig
759
By Anisur Rahman
DHAKA, Dec 16, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh emerged as the free capital of an independent nation as Pakistani military commander Lieutenant General AAK Niazi signed the document conceding defeat in world’s first ever such surrender ceremony in public on December 16, 1971.
But it remained largely unknown how the stage was set in haste and who was entrusted with the task until 2012 when an Indian war veteran, Brigadier General Sant Singh, told BSS reporter he was the man who arranged the ceremony.
Singh, whom the freedom fighters in 1971 fondly called “Brigadier Babaji” because of his attire – typical Shikh turban and beard and affectionate attitude – was talking to this reporter on the sidelines of a ceremony in Dhaka where he along with several other foreigners were awarded with “Friends of Liberation War Honour”.
NEW DELHI: Today marks the beginning of the 50-years celebrations of the victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, that saw the birth of Bangladesh as a nation and its liberation from Pakistani rule. The war concluded with the fall of Dhaka and surrender of Pakistani forces on Dec 16, 1971. The day is observed as Vijay Diwas in India.
Here are the highlights of the conflict:
This was one of the shortest military conflicts in history, lasting just 13 days.
The war resulted in the largest military surrenders since World War II, when the Pakistan Army chief General Niazi surrendered with 93,000 of his troops.