From CK Nayak
Dhaka: Thousands of Bengalis, irrespective of their religion, were killed by the Pakistani army during the Liberation War in 1971 in what was then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and most of them were buried in mass graves along the borders including in Northeast India.
Now decades later, the martyrs’ children and other relatives will be able to visit their graves in India when the same would be identified with memorial plaques. This was decided during the just-concluded visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to Dhaka.
Despite hiccups in the Indo-Bangladesh relationship with change in regimes, Bangladesh always remembers India’s contribution in the liberation war which led to the birth of Bangladesh.
In all the meetings this was reiterated by the authorities during Dr Singh’s first official visit after a gap of 12 years by any Indian Prime Minister.
The Bangladeshi side requested facilitation for setting up of memorial plaques and visits of family members to the identified graves of freedom fighters buried along the border in Meghalaya, Tripura, Assam and West Bengal. The same was immediately accepted by the Indian delegation, official sources said.
The two Prime Ministers underscored the need to preserve the memory of freedom fighters by undertaking various initiatives, including observance of anniversaries of their martyrdom. The Indian side informed that it would enhance scholarships to the heirs of Muktijoddhas (Freedom fighters) from Bangladesh to pursue higher secondary and graduate studies.
It all started with “Operation Searchlight” a planned military action carried out by the Pakistan Army in March 1971 to curb the Bengali nationalist movement by taking control of the major cities and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month.
Bengalis who either took refuge in India or joined the liberation war were killed by the perpetrators of genocide who dug up mass graves and buried the bodies along the areas bordering India.