Bangladesh’s War of Independence

Dr. Mohammad Humayun Kabir

 Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
• Operation Searchlight is the ruthless and brutal armed operation
undertaken by the Pakistan army on 25 March 1971 in order to curb the
movement of the freedom loving Bengalis against the autocratic rule of the
Pakistani rulers. It was termed as 'Operation Searchlight' by the military
authority.
• The purpose of this operation was to arrest or kill the distinguished
Awami League leaders, students and intellectuals in the main cities of East
Pakistan including Dhaka, to disarm the Bangali military personnel,
Para-military and police forces and to capture armory, radio station and
telephone exchange, thereby to take over the control of the province of
East Pakistan by ruthlessly curbing the non-cooperation movement
headed by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The operation started
at 11-30 pm of 25 March.
Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
AIMS OF THE OPERATION
The operation shall be started simultaneously in the whole of East
Pakistan.
Maximum number of politicians and student leaders, teachers and
extremist activists of cultural organizations shall have to be arrested.
Operation must achieve a 100% success in Dhaka. For that Dhaka
University has to be occupied and searched.
The security of the cantonment must be ensured. Greater and Freer use
of fire against those who dare attack the cantonment.
Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
The soldiers of the EPR must be disarmed and in their places West
Pakistani soldiers shall be deputed to patrol the armory, and the
control of the armory shall be vested upon them.
In the first phase, the operational zones will be Dhaka, Khulna,
Chittagong, Comilla, Jessore, Rangpur, Syedpur and Sylhet. The
operation planning in Chittagong, Sylhet, Jessore, Rangpur and Comilla
shall be implemented by air, if necessary.
All sorts of domestic and international communications must be
disrupted. Telephone exchange, radio, TV, transmitter in the foreign
consulates must be disrupted.
 Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
Command and Control of the Operation
• Major General Rao Farman Ali with 57 Brigade under Brigadier Arbab was
responsible for operation in Dhaka city and its suburbs while Major
General Khadim Raja was given the responsibility of the rest of the
province. Lieutenant General Tikka Khan assumed the overall charge of the
operation.
• As per instruction of the Chief of Staff General Abdul Hamid Khan on 17
March, General Khadim Hossain Raja finalized the plan of the Operation
Searchlight. For implementing the plan, General Hamid, General AO
Miththi, Colonel Sadullah had visited different cantonments on 24-25
March to inspect the preparation of the operation.
Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror

Yahya Khan Major General Khadim Major General Rao

Raja Farman Ali
 Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
• The army moved into the city before scheduled time and started the
genocide.
• The students and the nationalist political activists put up resistance outside
the cantonment. Road blocks were raised to obstruct the march of the
Pakistani troops to the city areas.
• The first column of the Pakistan army faced obstruction at Farmgate, about
one kilometer from the cantonment, due to a huge road block created by
placing big tree trunks across the road. The hulks of old cars and
unserviceable steam roller were also used in creating the blockade. Several
hundred people chanted the slogan Joi Bangla which lasted for few
minutes, but soon guns silenced them.
 Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
• In the dead of night they launched operation at the residential quarters of
the teachers of Dhaka University including the then Iqbal Hall, Jagannath
Hall, Rokeya Hall and killed huge numbers of students including nine
university teachers.
• Under the same planning, serious attack was made on old Dhaka, Tejgaon,
Indira Road, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhaka airport, Dhanmondi, Kalabagan
areas.
• On the same night many people were killed and injured in Chittagong,
Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Syedpur and many other parts of the country.
• And last but not least the army, demolishing hastily put up barricades, went
for the two main symbols of East Bengali nationalist aspirations. The first, the
Shohid Minar (Monument to the Martyrs of the Language Movement), was
razed to the ground. The second was Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
• As per schedule, the Army launched
simultaneous attack on Peelkhana
and Rajarbagh. At 1:30 a.m they
arrested Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman from his
residence.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested and later

taken to Karachi by the military
Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror

A Street full of dead bodies on 26th March Morning

 Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
• On the eve of the genocide on 25 March, President Yahya Khan left Dhaka
for Karachi, but Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the president of the Pakistan People's
Party, observed the whole operation from the Hotel Intercontinental of
Dhaka.
• On the following day before leaving Dhaka, Bhutto highly appreciated the
action of the army on the previous night and commented upon reaching
Karachi, 'Thanks God, Pakistan has been saved'.
• All the army officials including Yahya Khan expressed satisfaction to the
army action. Even in the White Paper published by Pakistan Government
on the following 5 August, the military operation on 25 March was termed
as 'inevitable'.
 Operation Searchlight: A Night of Horror
• The accurate figure of casualty under the operation searchlight on the night
of 25 March could not be estimated.
• The foreign journalists were compelled to leave the country before the
operation of 25 March. Because of strong censorship on the newspapers at
home nothing substantial could be gathered about the operation.
• From the report of three foreign journalists, Arnold Jetline, Michael
Laurent and Simon Dring, who remained in hiding at a risk, some news can
be gathered about the ruthless brutality of that fateful night.
• According to New York Times (28/3/71) 10,000 people were killed; New
York Times (29/3/71) 5,000-7,000 people were killed only in Dhaka; The
Sydney Morning Herald (29/3/71) 10,000 – 100,000 were killed; New York
Times (1/4/71) 35,000 were killed in Dhaka during operation searchlight.
Declaration of Independence and the Beginning of the War
• On the night of 25 March 1971, immediately before the military crackdown
and moments before Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested, he issued the
following Declaration of Independence:
Declaration of Independence and the Beginning of the War
• The message of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration of independence
was sent to Chittagong shortly after mid night to transmit the message
throughout Bangladesh over the transmitter of the East Pakistan Rifles.
• On 26 and 27 March two declarations of independence was made in the
name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Chittagong Radio Station (later
named as Swadin Bangla Betar Kendra)
- one by M.A Hannan, General Secretary of the Chittagong Awami League
and
- the other by Major Ziaur Rahman, who later on became the sector
commander of the region.
Declaration of Independence and the Beginning of the War
Declaration of Independence and the Beginning of the War
Declaration of Independence and the Beginning of the War
Declaration of Independence and the Beginning of the War
Declaration of Independence and the Beginning of the War
 The Beginning of the War
Response of the Bengalis
• There were spontaneous uprisings throughout Bangladesh following the
declaration of independence on 26 March 1971.
• These uprisings were participated by government officials, political activists,
students, workers, peasants, professionals and mass people.
• Resistance and fight back by Bangladesh Police
• Resistance in Khulna
• Resistance in Barisal
• Resistance in Chittagong and Cumilla
• Resistance in Rajshahi and Dinajpur
• After initial resistance, many freedom fighters crossed over to Indian territory
to have safe sanctuary. The Mujibnagar Government was form on 10 April and
the formal war was started.
 Mujibnagar Government
• Mujibnagar Government was the government that constituted at
Mujibnagar to conduct the Bangladesh war of liberation, formed on 10th
April 1971 after the declaration of independence on 26 March 1971.
• The Mujibnagar government, headed by Tajuddin Ahmad took their oath on
17 April 1971 at Mujibnagar.
• This government had also been known as Mujibnagar Government in-exile,
as the activities of the government had been conducted from outside of the
territory of Bangladesh.
Mujibnagar Government
 Mujibnagar Government
Reason behind the Formation of Mujibnagar Government
• The formation of Mujibnagar Government is one of the very constructive
and organized steps toward the development of the liberation war of
Bangladesh as it has given our freedom struggle a formal shape and led the
whole resistance from a single authority.
• Awami League leaders immediately rose to the occasion taking on the
responsibility of continuing the resistance and mobilizing the people for a
frontal attack on the occupation force without delay.
• There was no question about the legitimacy of Awami League’s claim to
lead the liberation war. After all 75% of the voters have given them the
authority to decide the fate of the nation.
 Mujibnagar Government
• The decision to form the Mujibnagar
government first came in the mind of
Tajuddin Ahmed, who crossed the
boarder after the initial mass murder
occurred in East Pakistan.
• Mr. Tajuddin after fleeing to Delhi
successfully established his contact with
Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira
Gandhi. From 5th-7th April he stayed in
Delhi and successfully convinced the
Prime minister Gandhi to extend her help
towards forming an exile government for
Bangladesh.
 Mujibnagar Government
Formation of the government
• On 10 April a government was formed consisting of the top leaders of
Awami League.
• The oath taking ceremony of the government took place on 17 April at
Baidyanathtala, in the district of Meherpur.
• The oath taking ceremony was conducted by Abdul Mannan MNA and the
proclamation of independence was read out by Professor Mohammad
Yusuf Ali.
• In this place a guard of honour was given to Syed Nazrul Islam, the Acting
President of the newly formed government.
Mujibnagar Government

“equality, human dignity and social

justice”
Mujibnagar Government
Mujibnagar Government
Mujibnagar Government
 Mujibnagar Government
President : Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Syed Nazrul Islam : Vice President, (Entrusted with the powers, functions and
responsibilities of the President since the President himself was then
detained in Pakistan).

Tajuddin Ahmad : Prime Minister, In charge of Defense, Information, Broadcasting

and Communications, Economic Affairs, Planning Division, Education,
Local Government, Health, Labor, Social Welfare, Establishment as well as other
affairs the responsibility of which was not yet entrusted to any one.
Khondakar Mostaq Ahmad : Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

M Mansur Ali : Minister, Ministry of Finance, Industry and Commerce.

AHM Qamaruzzaman : Minister, Ministry of Home, Civil Supplies, Relief and Rehabilitation,
Agriculture.
Mujibnagar Government
 Mujibnagar Government
General Administration Division:
•It was formed under the Ministry of Establishment to deal with
appointment, transfer, promotion and framing of service rules. Nurul
Qader was the secretary of the Establishment Division.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting:

• The Ministry played important role to build up public opinion in favor of
the liberation war. This ministry used to perform its functions through four
divisions: a) Radio (Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra), b) Films, c) Publications,
d) Fine arts and design.
 Mujibnagar Government
•Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
• The ministry sought to obtain support of the foreign governments and
people at large for the cause of liberation of Bangladesh by establishing
Bangladesh mission abroad and by sending diplomatic envoys to various
countries.
• With this end in view diplomatic missions were established in Kolkata,
Delhi, London, Washington, New York, and Stockholm.
• Diplomatic delegations were sent to the UN, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon,
Nepal, Srilanka, Burma, Thailand and Japan for gaining their support to
the liberation war.
 Mujibnagar Government
Ministry of Finance, Industry and Commerce:
• The Ministry was headed by M Mansur Ali and Khondaker Asaduzzaman
was its secretary. The goal of the ministry was to manage the finance of the
liberation war, collect foreign aid for the refugees who are settling to West
Bengal and also seek economic support for the liberated country after the
war.
Cabinet Secretariat:
• The ministry placed various proposals about the operation of the liberation
war to the cabinet meeting, implementation of the decisions of the
meeting, and monitoring and recording these decisions. HT Imam was the
secretary of the ministry.
 Mujibnagar Government
Ministry of Home:
• It was responsible for maintaining law and order in the liberated areas.
This ministry selected the uniform, badge and monogram of the
Bangladesh police force. Abdul Khaleque was made the first IG of the
police and was later appointed as home secretary.

Relief and Rehabilitation Division:

• It was created under the supervision of the Ministry of Home and Ministry
of Relief with a view to rehabilitate the refugees taking shelter in India.
 Mujibnagar Government
Ministry of Defense:
• Tajuddin Ahmad was the Minister. Bangladesh interim government
appointed Col. M.A. G Osmani as Commander in Chief. Lt. Col Rab was
appointed as Chief of Bangladesh Army Staff. Group Captain A K
Khondakar was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Forces.
Mujibnagar Government
Importance of Mujibnagar Government

•Setup of Internal Administration

• Establishing Foreign Relations

 War of Liberation
• Teliapara Meeting of the Armed forces on 4th April 1971 emphasised on
combined strategy of war.
• Tajuddin Ahmed in his first speech from Sadin Bangla Betar Kendra on 10
April after the formation of Mujibnagar Government, divided Bangladesh in
five regions and announced the name of the regional Commanders.

Major Khaled Mussaraf Sylhet and Cumilla Region

Major Ziaur Rahman Chittagong and Noakhali Region
Major K M Safiullah Mymensingh and Tangail Region
Major Abu Osman Chowdhury Kushtia, Jessore, and Rajshai
Major Abdul Jalil Mia Faridpur, Khulna, Barisal, Patuakhali Region
 War of Liberation
• Formation of Sectors and Forces
• On 11th July 1971 all the seniors officers of Mukti Bahini (Fridom fighters)
were called a meeting at the Head Quarter of the government situated at 8
Theatre Road, Calcutta, West Bengal. In that meeting it was decided to
divided Bangladesh in 11 sectors and the sectors commanders were
appointed. But there was no sector commander for sector No 10.
• The 10th Sector was directly placed under Commander in Chief and
included the Naval Commandos and C-in-C’s special force.
• Besides, there were three brigades called Z force, K force and S force.
Major Ziaur Rahman, Major Khaled Mosharraf and Major KM Shafiullah
were the commanders of the brigades respectively.
War of Liberation
War of Liberation
 War of Liberation
• Sector Commanders directed the guerrilla warfare. For better efficiency in
military operations each of the sectors were divided into a number of
sub-sectors.
• Bangladesh Navy was constituted in August 1971 Initially, there were two
ships and 45 navy personnel. This ships carried out many successful raids on
the Pakistani fleet. Naval commandos made a very successful operation in 15
August 1971 in Chittagong port.
• Bangladesh Air Force started functioning on 28 September at Dimapur in
Nagaland under the command of Group Captain A K Khondakar. Initially, it
comprises of 17 officers, 50 technicians, 2 planes and 1 helicopter. The Air
Force were quite successful during the initial stage of the Indian attack in
early December.
 War of Liberation
• Beside the Regular Forces, there were some irregular Forces those who were
trained for guerrilla warfare. In addition, there were also some independent
forces that fought in various regions of Bangladesh and liberated many areas.
These included Mujib Bahini, Kaderia Bahini, Afsar Battalion and Hemayet
Bahini.
• In the very beginning, the BSF were in charge to train the freedom fighters but
in the months of May, Indian army took the charge but they trained only 2000
in a month but from the month of August they trained 20,000.
• From the September the guerrilla operation was increased heavily and by
October Pakistani occupational forces stop sending their dead body to
Pakistan. By November Freedom Fighter captured many places in the boarder
area.
War of Liberation
 War of Liberation
Formation of Allied Force
• After the signing of the Indo-Soviet Treaty on 9 August 1971, India began to
demonstrate more interest in the Bangladesh war.
• India had been followed a defensive strategy until November. From
November they finalised a new strategy for all out war and Allied Forced were
formed with Indian army and Freedom Fighters under the command of Lt.
General Jagjit Singh Aurora, Chief of Indian Eastern Command.
• In a new plan the whole country was planned to divide into four sectors and
proceed to Dhaka rapidly.
 War of Liberation
Surrender at Dhaka : the Final Victory
• India was attacked by Pakistan on 3 December and India entered into the
war on that day. In fact, the Indian soldiers were already participating in the
war since November. The Indian all-out war strategy started to be
operational by the evening of December 3, 1971. The joint force planned to
conquer city by city and to march towards Dhaka swiftly. India officially
recognised Bangladesh on 6 December.
• On 11 December, General Yahya presented a proposal to the UN
representative in Dhaka for a stand still-ceasefire followed by political
negotiation to transfer the power. The allied forces ignored the proposal.
There were some more proposal (Anglo-French proposal, The Polish draft)
in the backstage trying to find out a solution to the conflict acceptable to
Pakistan, USA and China. The result were negative in the face of the
resolution stand of the USSR and its threat of using the veto.
 War of Liberation
• The allied forces surrounded Dhaka city by December 14. By this time it was
clear that Pakistan has lost the war to the Bengali Freedom Fighters and Allied
forces.
• Finally, on 16 December 1971, the Commander of Eastern Command of the
Pakistan Army Lt. General Ameer Abdullah Khan Niazi signed a formal
instrument of surrender on behalf of the Pakistani Forces to the commander
of the joint Indo-Bangladesh Forces and the Chief of Indian Eastern Command
Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora. The Bangladesh Forces were represented at
the ceremony by Group Captain AK Khondakar.
War of Liberation
 War of Liberation
• Bir Sreshthos
• The Bir Sreshtho or ‘The Most Valiant Hero’ is the highest military award of
Bangladesh. It was awarded to seven freedom fighters who showed utmost
bravery and made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation. They are
considered martyrs.

Engineroom Artificer Ruhul Amin Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf

Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir Lance Naik Nur Mohammad Sheikh
Sepoy Mostafa Kamal
Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman
Sepoy Hamidur Rahman
 War of Liberation
• Bir Sreshthos
 War of Liberation
Anti Liberation Activities
Peace Committee
• Peace Committee, the first anti-liberation organization also known as the Nagorik
Shanti Committee (Citizen’s Peace Committee) was formed in East Pakistan in April
1971.
• The leaders of Jammat-i-Islami, Muslim League, Nezame Islami, PDP and other
Islamist parties were in leading to form this committee
• This committee openly supported the genocide committed by the Pakistani Army.
• On 4 April 12 pro-Pakistani leaders including Nurul Amin, Gulam Azam and Khwaja
Khairuddin, met General Tikka Khan and assured him of co-operation in opposing
the Bangladesh Rebellion.
• Peace Committee called on citizens of Pakistan to defend Pakistan from ‘Indian
aggression’.
 War of Liberation
• Razakar
• Razakar (volunteers) was a paramilitary force formed at Pakistan
government initiative to assist them and resist the freedom fighters.
• Along with the Peace Committee the Jamat-i-Islami leader played the key
role in forming the Razakar and they were recruited by the peace
committee.
• The East Pakistan Razakar Ordinance promulgated on 1 June 1971 by Tikka
Khan. The Razakars were under Pakistani Army command and also trained
by them.
• Their main function was to arrest and detain nationalist Bengali suspects.
Suspects were tortured during custody and killed. They served as local
guides for Pakistan army and also helped and participated in rape, murder
and looting the locals.
 War of Liberation
Al-Badar
• Al-Badar was a paramilitary force formed under the patronage of the
Pakistani government.
• The objective of the was to create public opinion in favour of the integrity of
Pakistan and to provide active assistance to the occupational army. They also
create panic among the common people by terror and political killing.
• Al-badar force followed the exact replication of Hitler’s ‘SS’ and Gastapo and
designed a blueprint to kill the intellectuals.
• Al-Badar leaders were trained and inspired by Jamaat workers.
• Al-Badar played the most significant role behind killing the Bengali
intellectuals in 1971.
 War of Liberation
Al-Shams
• Al-Shams was a death-squard like al-Badar, a para military force formed
under the patronage of Pakistan government.
• Their activities were also followed by the Razakars and Al-Badar.
• Al-Shams was constituted from among the followers of extreme rightist
political parties, particularly with the students’ wing of the Islamic
parties.
• Al-Shams took part in killing the intellectual with Al-Badar and also took
part in looting, genocide and other carnages.
 War of Liberation
The Killing of the Intellectuals and Crime against Humanity
• Pakistan Army and their local collaborators engaged in the systematic execution of
Bengali pro-liberation intellectuals during the liberation war.
• The killing of the intellectuals was a planned extermination of the Bengali
intellectuals. This was the most brutal and savage carnages in history.
• Intellectuals, which include educationists, journalists, litterateurs, physicians,
scientists, lawyers, artists, philosophers and political thinkers were killed during the
entire duration of the war. The killing of the intellectual was executed by a group of
collaborators under the directive and guidance of the Pakistan Army.
• The largest number of executions took place on 14 December as it became
apparent that Bangladesh would become independent. On that night over 200 of
intellectuals were abducted from their home in Dhaka. The act of killing was
initiated in Dhaka and gradually spread over the whole EP.
• This day is commemorated as Martyred Intellectuals Day.
The Killing of the Intellectuals and Crime against Humanity
The Killing of the Intellectuals and Crime against Humanity
Genocide, Oppression to women and Refugee crisis
Genocide, Oppression to women and Refugee crisis
Genocide, Oppression to women and Refugee crisis