Every year on December 16, India celebrates Vijay Diwas, a momentous occasion in the country's history. It honours India's conquest and win over Pakistan in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, which finally resulted in Bangladesh's freedom.

The liberation struggle of the people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) against the oppressive rule of West Pakistan provided the historical context for this historic victory. A strong independence movement was sparked by the horrors and persecution that the Bengali-speaking people in East Pakistan had to endure. India gave support to the independence struggle during this unrest and offered safety to millions of refugees escaping the fighting.