Bangladesh is set to honour former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for his outstanding support for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a Lok Sabha member.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman familiar with the process said Bangladesh will hand over Vajpayee’s “Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from June 6.
Mr. Vajpayee, who is unwell, could not visit Bangladesh to receive the honour.
“From the very beginning of the Liberation War (in 1971), he (Vajpayee) took a firm stand in favour of Bangladesh’s independence... as the then president of Bharatya Jana Sangh and Lok Sabha member he mobilised campaign at home and in international arena for the rights of Bangladesh’s people,” the official said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also approved a proposal to honour the families of the members of Indian armed forces for sacrificing their lives for the cause of Bangladesh’s independence.
Officials said Dhaka decided to send the martyrs’ family members a letter alongside a certificate to be signed by Ms. Hasina expressing tributes for their contributions.
Indira Gandhi was the first “foreign friend” to be conferred with the ‘Bangladesh Liberation War Honour Award’. Sonia Gandhi received the honour on her behalf in 2012 at a special ceremony.
Most of the subsequent recipients were also from India with President Pranab Mukherjee being one of them.
