Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday accused India of consistently downplaying Bangladesh’s contribution to the 1971 Liberation War, stressing that victory would not have been possible without the country’s freedom fighters.
Responding to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about a Victory Day congratulatory message, Touhid said the day was observed differently in Kolkata as Eastern Command Day, reflecting India’s perception of it as a victory achieved by its armed forces.
“It is true that India achieved victory against Pakistan. But regarding their victory in Bangladesh, their own experts—as referenced in my book—acknowledge that without the weakening of the Pakistan Army by local resistance, India’s victory would have taken much longer, with far greater losses and casualties,” he said.
The foreign adviser highlighted that Bangladeshi freedom fighters were actively engaged for at least six months, if not the preceding nine months. “There was resistance from the beginning, but from around June the freedom fighters were fully engaged in combat,” he said.
The adviser also criticized attempts to deny the role of the freedom fighters, saying such claims reflect a lack of knowledge of military history or science. “Such denial is meaningless. Without the support of the freedom fighters, this victory could not have been achieved,” he added.
On another issue, Touhid said that as of Tuesday night (December 16), Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman had not applied for a travel pass.
