Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed met with India's senior military leaders on Tuesday to discuss measures to strengthen defence cooperation between the two South Asian countries.
General Ahmed met with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General MM Naravane, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar in separate meetings.
The meetings focused on increasing military-to-military collaboration between India and Bangladesh. The recent developments in Afghanistan and their implications on regional security are said to have come up in the discussions.
In an official Tweet the Indian Army said, "General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army called on General Bipin Rawat #CDS and discussed issues of bilateral defence cooperation."
In a separate statement, the Indian Air Force said that the conversation between Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria and Gen Ahmed centred on current issues of mutual interest as well as ways to expand bilateral defence cooperation channels.
Gen SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army met with Air Chief Mshl RKS Bhadauria #CAS at Air HQs today.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 7, 2021
Contemporary issues of mutual interest and ways to enhance avenues for bilateral defence cooperation were discussed by the two Chiefs.#DefenceCooperation pic.twitter.com/hCJpVUJNs1
Picture of Pakistan surrendering in 1971 war seen in the background
In an interesting incident, the meeting between Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed and Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria the picture of the Pakistani Army surrendering to the Indian Army during the 1971 War was seen in the background.
The famous picture consisted of Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi, the Commander of Pakistani Eastern Command, signing the documented Instrument of Surrender in Dacca in the presence of Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) was placed symbolically to showcase India's contribution to the creation of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation.
After hostilities between India and Pakistan erupted on December 3, 1971, the conflict was over in less than two weeks on December 16, 1971, when the Indian Army's Eastern Command leader, Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, made the Pakistan Army's Eastern Command chief, Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi, sign the instrument of surrender.
Notably, around 93,000 Pakistani troops were seized as prisoners of war (PoW) by India as a result of the surrender. The war was also one of the shortest in history, lasting only 13 days.
