By Monirul Alam
The black night of March 25, 1971 when the Pakistani occupation forces kicked off one of the worst genocides in history that led to a nine-month war for the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
On this black night in the nation?s history, the Pakistani military rulers launched ?Operation Searchlight?, killing some thousand people in that night?s crackdown alone.?As part of the operation, tanks rolled out of Dhaka cantonment and a sleeping city woke up to the rattles of gunfire as the Pakistan army attacked the halls at Dhaka University, the then East Pakistan Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh) headquarters and Rajarbagh Police Lines, killing the several thousand unarmed Bengalis on the single night. The planned and designated centres of offensive operations under that plan were Dhaka, Khulna, Chittagong, Comilla, Jessore, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Saidpur and Sylhet? areas, where West Pakistani army units were concentrated.
This operation ordered by the central government of West Pakistan. ?The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on March 26, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. Prolonged Bengali resistance was not anticipated by the Pakistani planners. These systematic killings enraged the Bengalis, who declared independence from Pakistan ( March 26), to achieve the new state of Bangladesh with Indo-Soviet backing.
The nine-month-long Liberation War culminated in the surrender of the occupation army on December 16 and the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent, self-governing?state.
Every year different socio-cultural and educational organisations? chalk out elaborate programmes to observe 25th March.?MONIRUL ALAM?documents the present situation after? its 42 years of Independence.
25 March 2013
Dhaka, Bangladesh
?Monirul Alam
The Martyred of Intellectuals Memorial in memory of the martyred at Rayerbazar, Dhaka.
?Monirul Alam
Indian former Chief of Staff Army?s Eastern Command during the?liberation?war 1971 J. F. R. Jacob visited?Liberation?war museum at Segun Bagicha Dhaka Bangladesh. ?He reacts upon seeing the human skulls and bones retrieved from mass graves of civilians killed by Pakistani forces.
?Monirul Alam
The Mass Grave, Jagannath Hall at ?Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
List of Dhaka University Teachers? killed by Pakistan army in 1971 at Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
The Martyred of Intellectuals Memorial in memory of the martyred at Jagannath Hall, Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
The Memorial Stone for Martyred Intellectuals?which lists Dhaka University Teachers, Students and staff? killed by Pakistan army at Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
People march on the street during the 25 March at night? to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles and shouted slogans to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Young marchers lit candles to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles along with national flag to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Street paint? during a demonstration against Jamaat-e-Islami, at Shahabagh Square area in Dhaka. The protestors were demanding the death penalty for war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS). Protests against Jamaat-e-Islami have been held in Dhaka since 05 February with demonstrators demanding the party?s leaders be executed for war crimes committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 against Pakistan.
? Monirul Alam
Shahabagh Gonojagoron Moncha takes oath? during a demonstration against Jamaat-e-Islami, at Shahabagh Square area in Dhaka. The protestors were demanding the death penalty for war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS). Protests against Jamaat-e-Islami have been held in Dhaka since 05 February with demonstrators demanding the party?s leaders be executed for war crimes committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 against Pakistan.
?Monirul Alam
Memorial in memory of the martyred intellectuals at Rayerbazar, Dhaka.
On this black night in the nation?s history, the Pakistani military rulers launched ?Operation Searchlight?, killing some thousand people in that night?s crackdown alone.?As part of the operation, tanks rolled out of Dhaka cantonment and a sleeping city woke up to the rattles of gunfire as the Pakistan army attacked the halls at Dhaka University, the then East Pakistan Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh) headquarters and Rajarbagh Police Lines, killing the several thousand unarmed Bengalis on the single night. The planned and designated centres of offensive operations under that plan were Dhaka, Khulna, Chittagong, Comilla, Jessore, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Saidpur and Sylhet? areas, where West Pakistani army units were concentrated.
This operation ordered by the central government of West Pakistan. ?The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on March 26, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. Prolonged Bengali resistance was not anticipated by the Pakistani planners. These systematic killings enraged the Bengalis, who declared independence from Pakistan ( March 26), to achieve the new state of Bangladesh with Indo-Soviet backing.
The nine-month-long Liberation War culminated in the surrender of the occupation army on December 16 and the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent, self-governing?state.
Every year different socio-cultural and educational organisations? chalk out elaborate programmes to observe 25th March.?MONIRUL ALAM?documents the present situation after? its 42 years of Independence.
25 March 2013
Dhaka, Bangladesh
?Monirul Alam
The Martyred of Intellectuals Memorial in memory of the martyred at Rayerbazar, Dhaka.
?Monirul Alam
Indian former Chief of Staff Army?s Eastern Command during the?liberation?war 1971 J. F. R. Jacob visited?Liberation?war museum at Segun Bagicha Dhaka Bangladesh. ?He reacts upon seeing the human skulls and bones retrieved from mass graves of civilians killed by Pakistani forces.
?Monirul Alam
The Mass Grave, Jagannath Hall at ?Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
List of Dhaka University Teachers? killed by Pakistan army in 1971 at Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
The Martyred of Intellectuals Memorial in memory of the martyred at Jagannath Hall, Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
The Memorial Stone for Martyred Intellectuals?which lists Dhaka University Teachers, Students and staff? killed by Pakistan army at Dhaka University.
?Monirul Alam
People march on the street during the 25 March at night? to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles and shouted slogans to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Young marchers lit candles to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Marchers lit candles along with national flag to remember the victims of ?Operation Searchlight,? the 1971 military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement.
?Monirul Alam
Street paint? during a demonstration against Jamaat-e-Islami, at Shahabagh Square area in Dhaka. The protestors were demanding the death penalty for war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS). Protests against Jamaat-e-Islami have been held in Dhaka since 05 February with demonstrators demanding the party?s leaders be executed for war crimes committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 against Pakistan.
? Monirul Alam
Shahabagh Gonojagoron Moncha takes oath? during a demonstration against Jamaat-e-Islami, at Shahabagh Square area in Dhaka. The protestors were demanding the death penalty for war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS). Protests against Jamaat-e-Islami have been held in Dhaka since 05 February with demonstrators demanding the party?s leaders be executed for war crimes committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 against Pakistan.
?Monirul Alam
Memorial in memory of the martyred intellectuals at Rayerbazar, Dhaka.
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