December 16 is a significant day for India as well as for its neighbours Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 1971, India won the war against Pakistan which resulted in the birth of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).
On this day 49 years back, Pak lost half its country as well as its forces in the East, and eventually had to publicly surrender to India. It was the largest military surrender ever made after World War II.
How the war started?
The war started when Pakistan made air strikes on a total of 11 Indian airbases. It was perhaps the first time in which India’s all three forces fought in unison.
India without delay responded to Pakistan Army’s movements in the west and captured around 15,010 kilometres of Pakistan territory.
The war concluded after the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Bangladesh’s Mukti Bahini.
General A A K Niazi signed the Instrument of Surrender on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka, declaring the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation which was Bangladesh. Pakistan lost half of its territory with the birth of Bangladesh.
The shortest war in the history
The war lasted for just 13 days, and is one of the shortest wars in history.
Bangladesh celebrates the Victory day on 16 December each year to commemorate the ultimate victory in the Liberation War in 1971..
It was because of the Allied Forces of Bangladesh and India that Pakistan surrendered in Dacca on 16 December 1971.
Bangladesh Liberation War continued from March 26 to December 16, 1971