Atal Bihari Vajpayee to be honoured by Bangladesh

For his outstanding support of India’s independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a member of Loksabha, former PM of India Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be honoured by Bangladesh. As according to Foreign Ministry spokesmen statement, Bangladesh would hand over the”Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award’‘ to present PM Mr Narendra Modi during his trip to Bangladesh in the coming days.

• Former PM Vajpayee is not well and would not visit Bangladesh  to receive this accolade.
• According to the official quoting draft citation of the award, former PM Vajpayee took a firm standing favour of Bangladesh independence right from the starting of the Liberation War in 1971.
• Mr Vajpyee organised campaigns at home and in the international arena when he was a  president of Bharatya Jana Sangh and a Lok Sabha member, for the rights of the people of Bangladesh.
• The families of the members of the Indian armed forces who had sacrificed their lives for the cause of independence of Bangladesh would also be honoured by Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as per the official statement.
• ”National responsibility” being the reason behind in honoring the Indian soldiers, who had given their lives for Bangladesh.
• As per the officials,Dhaka decided to send martyr’s family members a letter plus a certificate that would be have the signature of Bangladesh premier expressing for their contributions towards Bangladesh independence.

Previous Indian recipients of this honour

• Former Indian PM Mrs Indira Gandhi was the first ”foreign friend” to get this ” Bangladesh Liberation War Honour Award” and Congress party president and her daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi received the award on behalf of Indra Gandhi in 2012.
• Incumbent President Pranab Mukerjee is also among the recipients.

Bangladesh decided to award 1971  ”foreign friends” soon after the Awami league was elected to rule in the year 2008.

Bangladesh Liberation War

• It is also called as Bangladesh  War of Independence or Liberation War.
• It was a military conflict between East Pakistan and West Pakistan in 1971 which formed the Bangladeshi republic.
• War started on 26th March 1971 and finished on 16th December 1971.
• The war took place in Bangladesh formerly East Pakistan,Bay of Bengal,West Pakistan, Arabian Sea,Parts of North India.
• Result of the war– Collapse of Pakistan Eastern Command and Bangladeshi-Indian win.
• Liberation of East Pakistan as the new Republic of Bangladesh was achieved finally.