Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman marked Genocide Day on 25 March by paying tribute to the victims of the 1971 violence and reiterating Bangladesh’s call for international recognition of the atrocities as genocide.
In a message shared on X, he said March 25 is observed as Genocide Day and paid respect to the martyrs, describing the night of 25 March 1971 as one of the most brutal moments in the country’s history when Pakistani forces launched a military crackdown against civilians.
Rahman stated that the operation included attacks on teachers, intellectuals and civilians in locations such as Dhaka University, Pilkhana and the Rajarbagh Police Lines, and described the events as a pre-planned massacre carried out under Operation Searchlight.
He said armed resistance began the same night, including by the 8th East Bengal Regiment in Chattogram, and that this resistance developed into the nine-month Liberation War. He emphasised the importance of educating future generations about the events of 1971 and highlighted the values of equality, human dignity and social justice as part of the country’s founding ideals.
Genocide Day in Bangladesh commemorates the start of Operation Searchlight in 1971, when the Pakistani military launched a large-scale crackdown in what was then East Pakistan that involved widespread killings, sexual violence including mass rape, and the targeting of civilians and the minority Hindu community. The violence triggered a mass humanitarian crisis, with around 10 million refugees fleeing to India.
During the Liberation War, India provided support to the Bengali resistance, hosted millions of refugees who fled the violence, and later intervened militarily in December 1971. The war ended when India defeated Pakistani forces, leading to Bangladesh’s independence and the capture of over 93,000 prisoners of war – the largest surrender in modern military history. India has continued to support Bangladesh’s efforts to secure wider international recognition and remembrance of the 1971 atrocities.
Separately, a bipartisan resolution has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives seeking recognition of the 1971 atrocities as genocide. The measure was introduced by Democratic Congressman Greg Landsman and Republican Congressman Steve Chabot, reflecting cross-party support.
The resolution calls for official US recognition of the killings carried out during the Bangladesh Liberation War and aims to raise awareness of the mass atrocities, which historians estimate led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions. The initiative follows earlier congressional efforts on the same issue and signals renewed attention in Washington to the events of 1971.
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