India gifts 1971 War of Independence memorabilia to Bangladesh

India has gifted memorabilia of the 1971 Liberation War to the Bangladesh government, which will be displayed in the Liberation War Museum.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj handed over those memorabilia by giving a token revolver to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when she called on her at the Ganabhaban on Sunday.

The memorabilia includes military equipment used by the joint forces of India and Bangladesh during the Liberation War as well as a large number of artefacts and documents including historical photographs, archival audio and video clippings, maps, battle records, newspaper clippings, and documentary films.

The hardware includes one Mi-4 helicopter, two PT 76 tanks, 106 mm recoilless anti-tank gun, 2” mortar, rocket launcher 3.5”, 40 mm RPG anti-tank, Bren Gun Machine MK II, 7.62 mm sniper rifle, 7.62 mm 1A1 self loading rifle, rifle 7.62 mm 2A Ishapore, sten 9 mm MK II, G3P3 7.62 mm rifle, 7.62 mm rifle (Belgium), 9 mm carbine machine gun 2A and 38 calibre service revolver.

The Mi-4 helicopter was the transport helicopter in service with the Indian Air Force during the war. It was extensively utilised for heliborne operations by the joint forces in the Eastern sector. It played a crucial role in early capture of Sylhet.

India has presented several weapons preserved as memorabilia of the 1971 Liberation War to Bangladesh. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj handed a revolver to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her residence in Dhaka on Sunday. Photo: PID

PT 76 tanks played a crucial role in routing the Pakistani army in the northern, northwestern and western sector operations during the war.

The memorabilia is proposed to be displayed at Bangladesh National Museum, Shahbagh and Museum of Independence, Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka.

Many of those memorabilia are on display at the Hotel Sonargoan where the Indian minister is staying.

The Indian Army shed blood along with Bangladeshis to liberate the country from Pakistan.

JCC meeting and MoUs

The External Affairs Minister came to Dhaka to co-chair the 4th Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) along with her counterpart AH Mahmood Ali.

They discussed various bilateral cooperation, identified thrust areas and reviewed the progress made following the visits of the Prime Minister of India to Bangladesh in June 2015 and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India in April 2017.

Following the JCC, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh handed over the Instrument of Ratification of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to the External Affairs Minister of India.

Two MoUs were also signed in the presence of the Ministers at the JCC.

These were: MoU between HMT and International Institute of Diploma Engineers of Bangladesh, Khulna for establishment of vocational training institute. Government of India will provide a grant assistance to the tune of Rs.9.97 crores for establishing this skill development centre in Khulna which will have Tool and Die manufacturing facility as well as a dairy processing plant.

The other MoU is for the Sale Purchase Agreement between Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPC) for supply of gasoil.

This is pursuant to the MoU signed between NRL and BPC in April 2015 for the implementation of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline project (IBFPL).

A cheque of equivalent to Tk100 million was also handed over to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) for the maintenance of inland waterway routes under the framework of the Protocol on Inland Water Transport Authority (PIWTT) used by both India and Bangladesh.

On the issue of Rohingya refugees, Sushma Swaraj reaffirmed India’s continued support in responding to the influx.

Under ‘Operation Insaniyat’, India provided 1000 tons of relief material for about 5,00,000 displaced persons.

Bangladesh side appreciated the help extended by India.

Sushma stressed that India was deeply concerned at the situation in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. 

“It is imperative that normalcy in the State is restored expeditiously and a lasting solution found at the earliest,” she also said.

She will leave Dhaka on Monday afternoon after inaugurating 15 development projects funded by India.