Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain on Tuesday said the 16th December and the 1971 Liberation War solely belong to Bangladesh.
“The post made by the Indian Prime Minister is his personal view. The nine-month war and the 16th December belong to Bangladesh only,” he said while responding to queries from reporters after attending the graduation parade of the 3rd batch of the Bangladesh Marine Academy, Sylhet.
Reflecting on the war, he said, “The nine-month-long Liberation War was marked by immense bloodshed and the loss of dignity of our women. Bangladesh started the war, Bangladesh finished it, and the whole world knows it. Comments diminishing these sacrifices, even after 52 years, deeply hurt those who participated in the war.”
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Pointing at the cadets, he underscored ongoing efforts to enhance the capacity and reputation of the country’s marine academies.
"We are taking initiatives to equip our sailors with advanced skills and training to compete at the international level," Sakhawat said.
He also announced measures to increase women's participation in the marine profession, revealing that five male and five female instructors have been brought from abroad to enrich the academies.
The event was also addressed by the Commandant of Bangladesh Marine Academy, Sylhet, Engineer Mohammad Humayun Kabir.