The curtain has dropped on a heart-warming event dedicated to the foreign friends who contributed to our liberation war, a process that began last July with the presentation of the "Bangladesh Freedom Honour", posthumously, to former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
At the event organised jointly by the Cabinet Division, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, 83 individuals, organisations, the Mitra Bahini (allied forces) and the people of India were recognised for their unique contribution to our liberation struggle in two categories -- the "Bangladesh Liberation War Honour" and the "Friends of Liberation War Honour". They included politicians, diplomats, journalists, army personnel, musicians and more from India, USA, UK, Russia, Nepal, Bhutan, Japan, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden. Some of them had put their lives at risk; others had gone against their governments' official policy at the time on Bangladesh's independence movement; all of them gave us their heartfelt support, helped spread the word and garner international backing and financial aid for our cause.
Forty-one years into independence, the recognition no doubt comes belated, but the delay has not taken away from the giving, or receiving, of the honours. While we as a nation are proud to finally be able to pay whole-hearted tribute to those who supported us in various ways in perhaps our most difficult time of need, the award recipients too expressed no less gratitude for the honours bestowed upon them. The occasion did not only celebrate a historical event and those who contributed to it but, through the massive presence of awardees from around the world, was a reflection of the image of global friendship today. We congratulate the initiators and oganisers along with the award recipients who responded to their call, on the successful completion of a soul-stirring event honouring some of our most significant memories as a nation.