In a first, the Border Security Forces (BSF) organised a "Vijay Diwas Parade" in New Delhi on Saturday to commemorate the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War that saw a historic victory of the Indian armed forces against Pakistan. Earlier, only respective battalions and units held their own events to pay tributes to the martyrs.
BSF Director General Nitin Agrawal took the salute of the ceremonial parade at the Chhawla camp of the border-guarding force in southwest Delhi and paid homage at the martyr's memorial, the force said on X.
The post on X said solemn tributes were paid to remember "the remarkable contribution of BSF during the Bangladesh Liberation Struggle, and to honour the victory of Indian Armed Forces in the 1971 War leading to Liberation of Bangladesh...."
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BSF and the Bangladesh Liberation War
The BSF played a vital role in the war where victory was achieved following the surrender of more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers on December 16, 1971. This specific chapter of history gave birth to Bangladesh as an independent country.
According to official records, a total of 125 BSF personnel were killed and 392 injured while 133 were reported missing after the war.
The about-2.65-lakh-personnel-strong force was raised in 1965 and it is primarily tasked with guarding important Indian fronts with Bangladesh on the east and with Pakistan on the country's western flank.
