Bangladesh is remembering martyrs of March 25 massacre on Genocide Day

Bangladesh is commemorating the martyrs of the genocide committed by the Pakistani forces on the night of Mar 25, 1971, to crush the freedom movement of the Bengali people.

That night, under Operation Searchlight, the Pakistani forces carried out mass killings in Dhaka. However, instead of breaking their spirit, the atrocity ignited the Bengali nation’s fight for liberation. After nine months of struggle, Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign state on the world map.
On Tuesday, the nation will honour the martyrs of that dark night through various programmes to mark what has now come to be recognised as Genocide Day.
For 23 years, Bengalis had endured political and economic oppression. When their demand for freedom grew stronger, the Pakistani army launched a ruthless crackdown. Codenamed "Operation Searchlight", their objective was to eliminate key political figures, intellectuals, and activists who were leading the movement.
They planned to arrest and kill Awami League leaders, student activists, and Bengali intellectuals, disarm Bengali soldiers, paramilitary forces, and police officers, and seize control of important infrastructure such as armouries, radio stations, and communication centres.
Above all, they sought to stamp out the non-cooperation movement led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and reassert West Pakistani rule over East Pakistan.
While political negotiations were ongoing between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after the national elections, the Pakistani military had already begun planning the operation in February. By Mar 17, the strategy was finalised. The assault on Dhaka was scheduled to begin at 1:00am on Mar 25, led by Maj Gen Rao Farman Ali of the Pakistani Army’s 57th Division. Meanwhile, Maj Gen Khadim Raja of the 14th Division was tasked with overseeing operations in other parts of the country.
Around 10:00pm, a heavily armed military convoy set out from Dhaka Cantonment towards the city. As the troops advanced, they encountered their first resistance at Farmgate, where people had blocked the roads using tree trunks, broken-down vehicles, and steamrollers.
The air rang with cries of "Joy Bangla" as protesters stood their ground in defiance. But the Pakistani forces responded with gunfire, shattering the resistance and pushing forward. By 10:30pm, nearly 80 armoured vehicles had positioned themselves in full battle formation at both ends of the Racecourse Ground.
By 11:20pm, the Pakistani army began surrounding the Rajarbagh Police Lines. Soon after, they launched their assault, and emergency radio messages carried news of the attack to nearby districts and subdivisions. At 11:30pm, under the command of Col Taj from the 32nd Punjab Regiment, Pakistani forces stormed Rajarbagh, only to be met with fierce resistance from Bengali police officers who, despite being outnumbered and outgunned, fought back bravely.
At the same time, in a coordinated attack, the 22nd Baloch Regiment launched an assault on the East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) headquarters in Pilkhana. Though poorly equipped, the Bengali soldiers inside the barracks took up arms and fought against overwhelming odds.
As the night progressed, the brutality of the attack escalated. Heavy assaults targeted Dhaka University, Shankhari Bazaar, and other parts of the city. With power lines deliberately cut, darkness swallowed Dhaka as gunfire, explosions, and the relentless roar of tanks filled the air. The Pakistani forces showed no mercy. They stormed student dormitories, faculty residences, and slum areas, massacring everyone in their path.
Shortly after 1:00am, the Pakistani army, accompanied by tanks and armoured vehicles, stormed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence in Dhanmondi and arrested him. Before being taken into custody in the early hours of Mar 26, he made a final proclamation declaring Bangladesh’s independence.
What followed was a brutal nine-month war, during which three million people lost their lives, 250,000 women were subjected to horrific violence, and an entire nation made immense sacrifices. At last, on Dec 16, Bangladesh achieved victory, emerging as an independent and sovereign state on the world map.