About Genocide 71

Bangladesh Genocide

The indiscriminate killings of the Bengalis at the hands of the Pakistan military in 1971 can hardly be exaggerated. The Pakistan military committed one of the worst genocides in modern history in the eastern wing of Pakistan, now Bangladesh, from March to December 1971. As many as three million people were killed, thousands were raped, and some 10 million people were displaced and had to flee the country. The initial assault termed ‘Operation Searchlight’ began on 25 March 1971, in which the Pakistan military killed thousands of people within the first month of the genocide. Millions of people became refugees and took shelter in various refugee camps set up by the Government of India in West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam and other parts of India. The genocide lasted for nine months. It finally ended with the surrender of the Pakistan military to the Joint Command Forces of Bangladesh and India on 16 December 1971.

Although the international media, scholarly researchers, and some policymakers have highlighted the atrocities committed by the Pakistan military against the Bengalis in 1971, calling it “selective genocide,” “the bloodbath in Bengal”, “one of the bloodiest slaughters in modern times” and so on, the international community, particularly the United Nations, is yet to recognise the killing as ‘genocide.’ The Bangladesh Parliament has declared 25 March as “Genocide Remembrance Day” in 2017 to highlight the atrocities and commit Bangladesh to work relentlessly to put an end to genocide once and for all in this world. In this connection, several governmental and non-governmental institutions in Bangladesh have dedicated their time and activities to collecting evidence, carrying out research, and campaigning for the international recognition of the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide.

Genocide FAQ

  • What is the Bangladesh Genocide?
  • Who was responsible for the Bangladesh Genocide?
  • How many people died in the Bangladesh Genocide?
  • Were there witnesses to the Bangladesh Genocide?
  • What was the response of the international community to the Bangladesh Genocide?
  • Why is the Bangladesh Genocide commemorated on March 25?
  • Are the Bangladesh massacres acknowledged today as a Genocide according to the United Nations Genocide Convention?