At the close of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 on December 16, 1971, the Pakistani Army forces signed an instrument of surrender resulting in the surrender of 90,000 Pakistani troops to the Indian army. This surrender of troops was the largest the world had seen since World War II. India’s taking of 90,000 Pakistani POWs directly contributed to the recognition of Bangladesh’s sovereignty as India used this action as a tool to coerce Pakistan and then eventually other nations to recognize Bangladesh’s sovereignty and independence, which also had the effect of increasing India's national security by removing a hostile Pakistani-controlled state from India's eastern border. The POWss release was conditional to not only Pakistan’s acceptance of Bangladesh’s independence but also that of other