At a time when relations between India and Bangladesh are strained due to ongoing unrest in the neighbouring country, a Muktijoddha attending the Vijay Diwas event here on Monday emphasised that there is no difference in this year’s celebrations marking the creation of Bangladesh compared to previous years.

"We, who have come here, are freedom fighters; we fought hand in hand with the Indian forces," Muktijoddha Lt Colonel Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir (retd) said, recalling the sacrifices made by the Indian armed forces for the people of Bangladesh. Muktijoddhas, who were an integral part of Mukti Bahini, a guerrilla resistance force comprising military personnel and civilian volunteers during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Speaking informally to reporters after the wreath-laying ceremony at Eastern Army Command headquarters in Fort William, Zahir highlighted the assistance provided by the Indian people to the Bengali population in East Pakistan in 1971, offering shelter to nearly a crore refugees, without which countless lives would have been lost.

"Bangladesh is a peaceful nation. You may hear statements here and there, but history is a fascinating entertainer," Zahir said when asked about anti-India statements made by some people there.

He stressed the importance of good relations between neighbours for mutual development.

Regarding the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, where minority Hindus have faced over 200 attacks since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5, Zahir said, "We are neighbours, and we have to be good neighbours for the development of each other. Friendship must be durable." Zahir, who was awarded the 'Padma Shri' by India despite being a Bangladeshi citizen, shared his background as a member of Pakistan’s elite 14th Para Brigade. He crossed over to India after deserting the Pakistani army upon learning about the atrocities committed in East Pakistan.

He described the Indian armed forces’ victory in the 1971 war as one of the "finest victories in world history," emphasising that not a single atrocity was committed by the Indian forces during the conflict.

"That’s the reason we respect them, and our children will keep on honouring them," he said.

Zahir, also honoured with the ‘Bir Protik’ by the Bangladesh government for his role in the 1971 liberation war, expressed confidence that the current turmoil in his country could be overcome. "Everything will be done by the people of the country, have faith in the people of the country," he said.

Wing Commander D.J. Claire (retd), an Indian Air Force pilot who participated in the 1971 war, called the current situation in Bangladesh "heartbreaking." Reflecting on the sacrifices made during the war, he said, "I lost many friends in the war, and it involved sacrifices of many in blood, sweat, and tears." He added, "It breaks your heart to see that we are back to square one." Claire, who attends the Vijay Diwas celebrations annually, expressed his disagreement with the current situation in Bangladesh, describing it as a very sad state of affairs.

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