‘Genocide Day’ is being observed today — recalling the brutalities of the Pakistan army during Operation Searchlight, launched on the night of March 25 in 1971 as a last resort to try and suppress the will of the people of what would become, in less than nine months, an independent Bangladesh. On the night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings and arson in Dhaka to implement their blueprint to thwart Awami League assuming office following its victory in the 1970 election. In the attack dubbed 'Operation Searchlight', the Pakistani forces mercilessly killed Bangalee members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and common people. They killed people indiscriminately, set houses on fire and looted business establishments, leaving a trail of destruction. The night also witnessed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s proclamation of independence before he was arrested by the Pakistani troops and subsequently flown to West Pakistan. The day is being observed as Genocide Day officially for the seventh time in the country since the parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on this occasion. Also read; Genocide Day to be observed on Saturday Political parties have taken up programmes in observance of the day. Cultural organizations have arranged seminars, programmes and performances on genocide. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private TV channels and radio stations are airing special programmes while national dailies have published supplements marking the day. Meanwhile religious establishments will hold special prayers for the martyrs.  

Exactly at 9pm on Friday, Bangladesh will plunge into darkness to mark Genocide Day. The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has decided to observe a nationwide one-minute symbolic ‘blackout’ on Friday night marking Genocide Day. On the black night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings in Dhaka to implement its blueprint to thwart the Awami League's assumption of office following the election mandate of 1970. In the attack dubbed 'Operation Searchlight', the Pakistani security forces mercilessly killed nearly three million people -- Bengali members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and people. The Pakistani forces also set thousands of properties on fire and looted business establishments. Also read: Genocide Day to be observed on Friday The day is being observed as Genocide Day officially for the sixth time in the country since the Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have already issued separate messages on this occasion. "The observance of Genocide Day is a recognition of the great sacrifices made by three million Bengalis in the liberation struggle of Bangladesh," the President said. "It is also a symbol of protest against the genocide committed by the then Pakistani aggressors." According to the President, the horrific genocide of 1971 is a black chapter not only in Bangladesh but also in the history of world humanity. "The pledge that such genocide does not happen anywhere else will be reflected worldwide through the observance of the Genocide Day." In her message, the PM said that genocide, oppression, and other humanitarian disasters are still happening in some parts of the world. “I believe that by following the ideals of peace enunciated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and avoiding all forms of discrimination, communalism, and colonialism we can build a peaceful world order." The PM called upon the people to unite for building Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla in the spirit of the War of Liberation and following his ideals. Political parties and cultural organisations have lined up programmes to mark the day. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations are airing special programmes while national dailies published supplements marking the day. Meanwhile different religious organisations will hold special prayers and doa mehfil praying for peace. Also read: Genocide Day observed in Jordan Similar programmes have been arranged at district and upazila levels and by Bangladesh embassies in different countries to highlight the significance of the day.

On March 25, 1971, the Pakistani military regime led by General Yahya Khan launched a military crackdown on the civilians of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). The campaign, codenamed Operation Searchlight, resulted in the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Bengali civilians and the displacement of millions more. The genocide is considered to be one of the worst in modern history. Let's get to know in detail. The Background Although the Awami League won an absolute majority of 160 seats in the 1970 general election, West Pakistani leaders, including Yahya Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, refused to hand over the power. In protest of this, the movement began to take place in East Pakistan. On March 3, 1971, Yahya called for a session at the National Assembly in Dhaka. But on March 1, he conveyed over radio message and adjourned the session. As a result, people all over East Pakistan erupted in protest, and many were injured in clashes with Pakistani forces on the 2nd and 3rd. Meanwhile, on the orders of Ayub Khan, large numbers of troops started coming to East Pakistan from West Pakistan from the first week of March. Later, he announced the commencement of the session of the National Assembly on March 25 to calm the situation. However, the purpose of calling his session was to prevent Bangabandhu's pre-scheduled speech on March 7. Read What Was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Childhood Like? Later on March 7, 1971, Sheikh Mujib delivered his historic speech, and people all over the country took this as a call for independence. Meanwhile, President Yahya Khan arrived in Dhaka on March 15, and he met with Bangabandhu on March 17. The second meeting was held the next day. Then on March 19, the first armed resistance against the Pakistanis took place at Joydebpur in Gazipur. Due to this, the plan of disarming the Bengali army of Joydebpur 2nd East Bengal Regiment failed. On March 20, President Yahya Khan held an emergency meeting at the Dhaka Cantonment with the military adviser General Hamid Khan, the military administrator of East Pakistan Tikka Khan, General Peerzada, General Omar, and other senior military officials. There, the 'Operation Searchlight' was approved for March 25. Read Who was Sheikh Mujibur Rahman? A Short Biography of Bangabandhu, Father of the Nation On March 22, Yahya Khan adjourned the session of the National Assembly to be held in Dhaka on March 25. Meanwhile, from 23 to March 24, the Pakistani army carried out massacres in different parts of Bengal. Three hundred and fifty people were killed at Syedpur, Rangpur, and Mirpur in Nilphamari. Many people were injured. Pakistani Forces Planed Secretly Troops were being brought to Dhaka from West Pakistan almost every day since the second week of March. It increased even more before March 25. On March 17, Major General Khadim Hussain Raja, GOC of the 14th Division, took charge of the operation. The next day, General Raja and Major General Rao Farman Ali planned the operation. Declaration of Independence on March 25 Leaders of Chhatra Sangram Parishad Sirajul Alam Khan, Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, and many others were pressuring Bangabandhu to declare independence from March 23. But Bangabandhu was waiting for the right time. Read Top Sculptures in Dhaka City On March 24, Bangabandhu made 2-3 drafts of the Declaration of Independence and finalized it with Sirajul Alam Khan and Tajuddin's consultation. On March 24 Rao Farman Ali announced to arrest Bangabandhu alive on the 25th. On March 25, at around 10:30 PM, the Pakistani aggressors surrounded Bangabandhu's house and started heavy firing. Understanding the situation, Bangabandhu declared independence using wireless with the help of police in the early hours of March 26. The announcement was, "The enemy has struck us. Hit them back. Victory is ours. Insha Allah. Joy Bangla” Mujibur Rahman. Operation Searchlight Tikka Khan, under the direction of Yahya and Bhutto, launched 'Operation Searchlight' in the name of protecting the integrity of Pakistan. The Pakistani administration started disarming the Bengali army and police from the beginning of March so that they do not fall victim to any counter-attack. Many Bengali soldiers were sent on leave and transferred to Pakistan. Read Bangabandhu Memorial Museum: Witness to History and Tragedy A curfew was imposed on the evening of March 25, and preparations were made to carry out brutal violence. At 11:30 PM., Pakistani troops came out of the cantonment and launched Operation Searchlight, massacring Bengalis marching on Farmgate. The halls of Dhaka University were on the first hit list of the attack. The 17th Punjab, the 22nd Baloch, the 32nd Punjab Regiment, and some allied battalions were in charge of the Dhaka University area. As soon as the curfew was imposed, they entered Dhaka University with tanks, automatic rifles, rocket launchers, heavy mortars, light machine guns and started massacres in the halls. Shahid Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, Jagannath Hall, and Salimullah Muslim Hall were the main targets of the attack. The Pakistani army then attacked the Rajarbagh police line, killing countless policemen. From there, the first resistance against the Pakistani attack began. But the Rajarbagh police line could not survive for long in the face of constant attacks by Pakistanis with modern weapons. Read Top Historical Landmarks in Dhaka Reminding Liberation War of 1971 The killings took place at various places, including Rajarbagh Police Line, Peelkhana EPR Headquarters, Dhaka University, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh University of Engineering, Nilkhet, and many other places. When everyone was asleep, the Pakistanis launched a surprise attack. Suddenly, the air in Dhaka seemed to roar with rifles, machine guns, and mortar fire. The Pakistani aggressors carried out violence all over the city of Dhaka. In just a few hours, the whole of Dhaka was transformed into a place of death. They took control of many important places in Dhaka city and blew up important installations. It resulted in around fifty thousand deaths of innocent people in Dhaka alone. However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald of Australia, on the night of March 25 alone, about 100,000 people were killed in Bangladesh. Final Words The Pakistanis wanted to occupy and exploit Bangladesh by carrying out barbaric genocide and arresting political leaders. But that ruthless attack made the Bengalis angrier to snatch their freedom. Read Greatest Movies based on 1971, the Liberation War of Bangladesh

A one-minute blackout will be observed in Bangladesh on Thursday night to mark 'Genocide Day', amid fears of a second wave of the Covid pandemic. On the black night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings in Dhaka to implement its blueprint to thwart the Awami League's assumption of office following the election mandate of 1970. Also read: Trial of Pakistan's 1971 Genocide: It's for Bangladesh to decide In the attack dubbed 'Operation Searchlight', the Pakistani security forces mercilessly killed nearly three million people -- Bangali members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and common people. The Pakistani forces also set thousands of properties on fire and looted business establishments. This is the third time that Bangladesh is observing Genocide Day since Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017. This year, however, there will be no outdoor programme due to the prevailing Covid situation. Only a one-minute blackout is slated to be observed from 9pm to 9.01pm across the country. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have already issued separate messages on the occasion. Also read: One minute ‘blackout’ at 9 pm on March 25 night In her message, the Prime Minister said,  “On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Day of Genocide, we pledge to uphold the freedom that we have earned in exchange for the three million martyrs and the respect of two hundred thousand tortured mothers and sisters, if necessary, in exchange for our supreme sacrifices.” “Resisting all immediate conspiracies and be inspired by the spirit of the Great Liberation War, we shall play a concerted role in the realisation of the dream of the Father of the Nation for building a non-communal, hunger-free and prosperous Bangladesh, Insha Allah," she said. “I wish all-out success to the programmes taken on the occasion of 'Genocide Day'," the PM said. President Hamid said, “On the eve of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and the Golden Jubilee of Independence, I call upon all, irrespective of party affiliation, to contribute from their respective positions in the implementation of these programmes.” Also read: Genocide Day' observed  “We can pay our eternal respect to every soul who gave his life in 1971 genocide, by turning the country into the ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” he said.

Bangladesh will observe ‘Genocide Day’, marking the commencement of the Pakistan army's brutal, cowardly and indeed genocidal Operation Searchlight in 1971, as a last resort to try and suppress the will of the people of what would become, in less than nine months, the newly independent state of Bangladesh.   Organisers have called for a  nationwide minute's silence on Thursday, to pay respect to those who paid the supreme penlty will be observed in the across the country on Thursday commemorating the brutalities and cowardly attacks carried out by the Pakistani occupation forces on the unarmed civilian population on the black night of March 25 in 1971. On the black night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings in Dhaka to implement their blueprint to thwart the Awami League's assumption of office following the election mandate of 1970. In the attack dubbed 'Operation Searchlight', the Pakistani forces mercilessly killed the Bangalee members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and common people. Also read: One-minute ‘blackout’ to mark Genocide Day on March 25: Minister They killed people indiscriminately, set fire to the houses and properties, and looted business establishments, leaving a trail of destruction. The day is being observed officially for the fifth time in the country as Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017 to observe March 25 as the Genocide Day. This year, however, there will be no outdoor programme in observing the day due to the emerging situation of the coronavrius outbreak's second wave. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid issued separate massages marking the day. In her massage, the Prime Minister said “On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Day of Genocide, we pledge to uphold the freedom that we have earned in exchange for the three million martyrs and the respect of two hundred thousand tortured mothers and sisters, if necessary, in exchange for our supreme sacrifices.” Also read: Nation observes one-minute 'blackout' marking 'Genocide Day' “Resisting all immediate conspiracies and be inspired by the spirit of the Great Liberation War, we shall play a concerted role in the realization of the dream of the Father of the Nation for building a non-communal, hunger-free and prosperous Bangladesh, Insha Allah.she said. “I wish all-out success to the programs taken on the occasion of 'Genocide Day'.”, PM said. Besides, President Abdul Hamid said “On the eve of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and the Golden Jubilee of Independence, I call upon all, irrespective of party affiliation, to contribute from their respective positions in the implementation of these programs.” “We can pay our eternal respect to every soul who gave his life in 1971 genocide, by turning the country into the ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” he said.

The 'Genocide Day' is being observed in the country today (Wednesday) commemorating the brutalities and cowardly attacks carried out by the Pakistani occupation forces on the unarmed Bangalees on the black night of March 25 in 1971.