A recent historical analysis revisits the 1971 surrender of Pakistani forces in Dhaka, highlighting the absence of Bangladesh’s Liberation Army Commander-in-Chief, General M.A.G. Osmani, from the ceremony. The article argues that India’s dominance in the surrender proceedings and its earlier agreements with the provisional Bangladeshi government limited Bangladesh’s autonomy in the immediate post-war period.

According to the account, India’s military and political leadership sought to frame the conflict as an India–Pakistan war, sidelining the Mukti Bahini’s contribution. The piece cites alleged secret accords between India and the provisional government, which allowed Indian officials and troops to remain in Bangladesh temporarily and influenced the formation of the paramilitary Rakkhi Bahini. Eyewitnesses and historical sources suggest Osmani’s absence stemmed either from Indian obstruction or his own protest against subordination.

The analysis concludes that these events left enduring questions about the completeness of Bangladesh’s independence and the extent of India’s influence in shaping the new nation’s early governance and security structures.