Role of India:
a. Provided shelter to 1 million refugees. The then Indian government introduced a
new tax named Refugee tax to meet up the expenses of these Bengali refugees.
b. Gave military training, weapons and shelter to the Mukti Bahini.
c. Recognised Bangladesh on 6 December 1971.
d. Mitro Bahini was formed that consisted of members of Indian army and
Bangladeshi freedom fighters.
e. India joined the war on 3 December 1971 when Pakistan launched air strikes on it.
f. 93 thousand Pakistani soldiers surrendered to the Indian army on 16 December
1971.
Role of Soviet Union:
a. The Soviet President Podgorni wrote a letter to President Yahya Khan to stop the
genocide in Bangladesh.
b. Signed the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation in August
1971.
c. Used its veto power in the UN Security Council to block resolutions that favoured a
ceasefire (which would have helped Pakistan).
Role of United States:
a. Supported Pakistan diplomatically and militarily due to strategic interests and its
alliance with China.
b. Sent the Seventh Fleet to the Bay of Bengal, which was perceived as a show of
support for Pakistan.
c. However, some individuals within the US (like Senator Edward Kennedy and
officials in the State Department) criticized the Nixon administration's policy and
supported Bangladesh’s cause.
Role of China:
a. A close ally of Pakistan.
b. Opposed the independence of Bangladesh.
c. Tried to use its influence at the UN Security Council to support Pakistan, but was
countered by Soviet vetoes.
Role of United Kingdom and Other Western Nations:
a. Responses were mixed.
b. Some public support in Britain, especially from civil society and expatriate
communities.
c. Government response was generally cautious due to geopolitical alliances and Cold
War dynamics.