The Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971: How Bangladesh Gained Independence from Pakistan

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The Birth of Bangladesh: How the 1971 War Led to Independence


The Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 was a brutal and tragic conflict that resulted in the country’s independence from Pakistan. The war lasted for nine months (March 26 – December 16, 1971) and saw mass killings, rapes, forced displacements, and war crimes committed by the Pakistani military and its local collaborators.

Background of the War

  • Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was part of Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947.
  • Political and economic discrimination by West Pakistan fueled resentment in East Pakistan.
  • The 1970 general elections saw Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League win a majority, but West Pakistan refused to transfer power.
  • On March 25, 1971, Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight, a military crackdown on Dhaka and other cities to crush the independence movement.
  • This triggered the Liberation War, with Bangladesh declaring independence on March 26, 1971.

Pakistan’s Cruelty & War Crimes

The Pakistani military and its collaborators (Razakars, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams militias) committed widespread atrocities against Bengalis, especially targeting Bengali Muslims, intellectuals, and pro-independence activists.

1. Mass Killings (Genocide)

  • Estimated 10 million Bangladeshis were killed by the Pakistani military.
  • Dhaka University Massacre: On March 25-26, the army killed students, professors, and intellectuals in a brutal attack.
  • Operation Searchlight led to the murder of thousands in Dhaka alone.
  • Hindu communities faced ethnic cleansing, with large-scale killings and destruction of temples.
  • The Pakistani military used mass executions, machine guns, bayonets, and arson to kill Bengalis.

2. Rape & Sexual Violence

  • Around 500,000 to 800,000 Bengali women were raped, many of them gang-raped.
  • Women were held in rape camps and often forced into sexual slavery.
  • Many women were branded as "war babies" mothers and abandoned by society.
  • Pregnant rape survivors were often forcibly aborted.

3. Mob Lynching & Collaborators

  • Pakistani forces were aided by local Islamist militias (Razakars, Al-Badr, Al-Shams).
  • They helped identify and lynch pro-liberation Bengalis.
  • Hindus were specially targeted, with many being executed or forced to convert to Islam.
  • Intellectuals were kidnapped and executed in the final days of the war, leaving Bangladesh’s future generations without key scholars and leaders.

4. Refugee Crisis

  • Around 10 million Bangladeshis fled to India to escape genocide.
  • Another 30 million were internally displaced.
  • The war created one of the largest humanitarian crises in history.

End of War & Victory

  • The Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army), along with Indian military support, fought back.
  • On December 16, 1971, Pakistan surrendered after India officially intervened in early December.
  • Bangladesh became an independent nation, free from Pakistani rule.
Location: Bangladesh

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