Prisoners of war in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971

Niazi, signed an instrument of surrender with his counterpart, Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, GOC-in-C of Eastern Command, on 16 December 1971.: 136 [3]

: 314 [11] According to Pakistani observers and commentators, India, by taking and managing the ~97,000 war prisoners in Indian Army-run camps, had gained itself a bargaining chip to remove its security threat faced by its eastern front by recognizing the sovereignty of the country, Bangladesh, they had intervened to help.

[9] After conceding defeat and accession of the instrument of surrender in 1971, the Indian Army took the responsibility to protect Pakistan's joint servicemen in East-Pakistan.

: 211 [13] In December 1971, the Provisional Government of Bangladesh had shown their intention to India regarding the war prisoners, creating controversy between India and Bangladesh, as Bangladeshis wanted to hold the cases on the Pakistani servicemen who would be charged with the crimes against humanity in their special courts, and strongly opposed the Indian Army's plan for transferring war prisoners.

[1] Members of the Bangladesh government and public spoke specifically of prosecuting 194 Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy officers for war crimes.

The United Nations supported India's move as they condemned the human rights violations the Pakistani Armed Forces inflicted upon Bangladeshis.

[18] Soviet backing ensured that the states in the U.S.S.R.'s sphere of influence, including Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, all recognized Bangladesh's independence.