Saddest part of 1971's surrender ceremony

Air Vice Marshall (retd.) A.K. Khandakar in his book '1971 Bhetore Baire' has not mentioned a vital issue at the surrender ceremony held at Race Course Maidan on the south of Dhaka Club. I was present at the ceremony. Two chairs were procured from the office of the Race Course but a table was required to place the historic surrender documents. Two senior members of Dhaka Club and I arranged to bring a small table from the club. This table is now preserved at the National Museum.

The saddest part of the ceremony was that AVM Khandakar who was the senior most officer of Muktibahini present at the ceremony did not countersign the historic document. As a result, both India and Pakistan now claim that the war was between these two countries only. Anyone who has watched the film 'Gunde' and listened to its dialogues will realise what blunder was committed. I came to know later that Indian army proposed to bring General Osmani by helicopter from Sylhet but he declined to countersign the document because Field Marshall Manekshaw, the chief of Indian army was not present to sign the document. Then attempt was made to get the next senior officer Col. Rab to sign the document. He also declined because General Osmani declined to sign. The historic surrender document has remained without a signature from Muktibahini, an important partner of the allied force of the Liberation War.

S. A. Reza Hussain
Baridhara, Dhaka