Tue Nov 26 05:13:50 UTC 2024: ## 80 Years Later, Japan Repatriates WWII Soldiers’ Remains from Bangladesh
**Comilla, Bangladesh –** The remains of 23 Japanese soldiers who perished in World War II are being repatriated to Japan after more than 80 years, officials announced Monday. The exhumation took place at the Maynamati war cemetery near Comilla, Bangladesh, a site containing the remains of over 700 soldiers from various nations.
The Japan Association for Recovery and Repatriation of War Casualties, a government-backed organization, is overseeing the operation. The remains, described as being in an “extremely fragile state,” including both complete skeletons and fragmented bones, will undergo DNA testing to confirm identities before being returned to their families with military honors.
A retired Bangladeshi army colonel involved in the exhumation team stated that the process includes DNA matching to ensure accurate identification of the soldiers before handover to their relatives. The Association aims to recover the remains of Japanese war dead from various battlefields across Asia, including the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, and Myanmar. The soldiers died during Japan’s wartime involvement in the region, including fighting in Burma (present-day Myanmar) and attempted invasions of British India, of which Bangladesh was then a part. The repatriation process highlights Japan’s ongoing commitment to honoring its war dead.
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