1971 war: Indian bombing in Bangladesh was extremely calibrated to cause minimum damage In 1971, Pakistan lost half of its territory with the birth of Bangladesh, its forces in the East, and had to publicly surrender to India. Here’s a look back at how India took utmost caution in Bangladesh to cause minimum damage to their assets. Latest satellite images show many of the oil tanks in Bangladesh that were scrupulously avoided by the Indian military in 1971 are still standing and in use. advertisement UPDATED: December 11, 2020 17:43 IST Pakistani Lt Gen AAK Niazi signs the instrument of surrender on December 16, 1971. (Photo: Shiv Aroor/ Twitter)