On this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani armed forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the allied forces consisting of Mukti Bahini and Indian Army, led by General Jagjit Singh Aurora of India, at the Ramna Race Course Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka after their defeat in the nine-month-long Liberation War of Bangladesh.
The adage runs that pride goeth before fall and it was amply proved in the ignoble surrender of one of the mightiest armies in the world. The Pakistan Army was so convinced that they were invincible and let loose a reign of terror on the Bengali nation. But they were unaware of the indomitable spirit of the Bengalis, who fought a sanguinary battle against the Pakistan occupation Army.
The brutality and terror of the Pakistan occupation Army exceeded all limits of human endurance. It was termed unprecedented genocide of the innocent people of Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) in world history. Around half a million women were tortured by the hordes of Pakistan Army and their locals cohorts (Razakars, Al-Badr, Al-Shams, etc.)
After the blood and tears and martyrdom of millions of our fighting people, we at length achieved our liberation. The Pakistan Army finally bowed down before the heroic Freedom Fighters. Today, nation recalls the sacrifices of millions of heroes, who gave their today for our tomorrow.
Thus, the Pakistan occupation Army proved that merciless atrocities had to incur defeat at last.
