Reviving old friendship and fading memory, veterans of the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, including 'Mukti Joddhas' (freedom fighters) and serving senior Bangladesh Armed Forces officers, will be honoured during Vijay Diwas celebration here on Monday.
Vijay Diwas commemorates the victory of the Indian Armed Forces and the Mukti Bahini in the war which culminated in the liberation of Bangladesh, then East Pakistan, on December 16, 1971 and the historic surrender of over 93,000 Pakistani soldiers.
A group of 30 Bangladeshi Mukti Joddhas and their families will be part of the visiting delegation from the neighbouring country who would be honoured on the occasion, Eastern Command's Major General Bipin Rawat told reporters here today.
The 82-member team would be led by retired Lt Col Zafar Imam. Besides six other senior Bangladeshi officers would also be coming to Kolkata.
Besides officers of the Eastern Command, retired Army officers, including former General Shankar Roy Chowdhury, would be meeting the 1971 war veterans.
Rawat said the occasion would give the serving Army officers and retired officers from the armies of the two countries a chance go back to the tummultous days and renew their friendship.
To commemorate the historic occasion and honour those who made the supreme sacrifice for the liberation of Bangladesh, 'Vijay Smarak' was created in 1996 at Fort William, Indian Army's Eastern Command headquarters.
A memorial service for martyrs would be held at 'Vijay Smarak' which would be open for public homage from 10.30 am till 1 pm this Monday.
This year marks the 42nd anniversary of the war.
