Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the trade between India and Bangladesh crossed $10 billion, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Thursday. Mr. Jaishankar said Bangladesh is India’s largest trade partner in South Asia and fourth largest export destination globally while India is Bangladesh’s second largest trade partner.
The Minister was speaking at an event organised by the Border Security Force to commemorate 50 years of Liberation of Bangladesh.
He recounted the role the BSF units played in arming, training and supporting the Mukti Bahini, especially in guerrilla war techniques.
“None of us can forget the genocidal campaign launched by the Pakistani forces against the people of Bangladesh in 1971… 10 million refugees had come to India, living in camps in border area and the people of India opened their hearts and supported them,” Mr. Jaishankar said.
Without naming former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mr. Jaishankar said, “Our political, diplomatic and military efforts” in support of the people of Bangladesh in their struggle to uphold democracy is now well recognised.
He also emphasised on the progressive nature of the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh which has been forged in the historic socio-cultural and linguistic ties between the peoples of both nations.
A war veteran from Bangladesh said the new generation of Indians and Bangladeshis should carry forward the legacy of the 1971 war. “We sacrificed our today for your tomorrow; if you mistreat history, history will maltreat you,” Lt Col (retired) Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir, a decorated war hero said at the event .
He said the Pakistani army despite being well trained like the Indian Army lost the war as their commander, General Niazi Khan was involved in prostitution. He ran two brothels in Sialkot and Karachi. “They raped our women and killed many people” the war veteran recalled.
