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109-448: Bangladeshis first started immigrating to Italy in the 1980s, following the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. Many were skilled graduates attracted by career opportunities in industrial Northern Italy . Between late 1989 and mid-1990 the 200–300 Bangladeshis living in Rome increased by an estimated twenty-fold to become the largest Bangladeshi community in continental Europe. Subsequently,

218-643: A climax in 1970, when the Bangladesh Awami League , the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , won a landslide victory in the national elections. The party won 167 of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 313 seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a government. However, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (a former Foreign Minister),

327-557: A coalition government with Rahman as premier and Bhutto as president, but Sheikh Mujib later ruled out such a possibility. Meanwhile, the military was unaware of these developments, and Bhutto increased his pressure on Rahman to reach a decision. On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (soon to be prime minister) delivered a speech at the Racecourse Ground (now the Suhrawardy Udyan ). In this speech he mentioned

436-519: A common faith as an essential mobilising factor behind Pakistan's creation and the subsuming of Pakistan's multiple regional identities into one national identity. West Pakistanis were substantially more supportive than East Pakistanis of an Islamic state, a tendency that persisted after 1971. Cultural and linguistic differences between the two wings gradually outweighed any sense of religious unity. The Bengalis took great pride in their culture and language which, with its Bengali script and vocabulary ,

545-836: A further four-point condition to consider at the National Assembly Meeting on 25 March: He urged his people to turn every house into a fort of resistance. He closed his speech saying, "Our struggle is for our freedom. Our struggle is for our independence." This speech is considered the main event that inspired the nation to fight for its independence. General Tikka Khan was flown into Dacca to become Governor of East Bengal. East-Pakistani judges, including Justice Siddique, refused to swear him in. Between 10 and 13 March, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled all its international routes to urgently fly "government passengers" to Dacca. These "government passengers" were almost all Pakistani soldiers in civilian dress. MV Swat ,

654-759: A jungle airstrip near Dimapur in Nagaland, India. When taking over liberated territories, the Bangladesh Forces gained control of World War II airstrips in Lalmonirhat , Shalutikar, Sylhet and Comilla in November and December. The BAF launched " Kilo Flights " under the command of Squadron Leader Sultan Mahmud on 3 December 1971. Sorties by Otter DHC-3 aircraft destroyed Pakistani fuel supplies in Narayanganj and Chittagong where targets included

763-593: A mounting humanitarian and economic crisis, India actively aided and organised the Bangladeshi resistance army, the Mukti Bahini . In 1948, Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared that " Urdu , and only Urdu" would be Pakistan's federal language. But Urdu was historically prevalent only in the north, central, and western subcontinent ; in East Bengal, the native language was Bengali , one of

872-676: A ship of the Pakistan Navy carrying ammunition and soldiers, was harboured in Chittagong Port, but the Bengali workers and sailors at the port refused to unload the ship. A unit of East Pakistan Rifles refused to obey commands to fire on the Bengali demonstrators, beginning a mutiny among the Bengali soldiers. The 1970 Bhola cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of 12 November, around

981-542: A slight majority of the country's population, political power remained in the hands of West Pakistanis. Since a straightforward system of representation based on population would have concentrated political power in East Pakistan, the West Pakistani establishment came up with the " One Unit " scheme, whereby all of West Pakistan was considered one province. This was solely to counterbalance the East wing's votes. After

1090-545: A traitor during a national broadcast on the same day. The Pakistan Army moved infantry and armoured units to East Pakistan in preparation for the coming conflicts. On 25 March, martial law was declared, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested and Operation Searchlight started in East Pakistan. Foreign journalists were expelled and the Awami League was banned. Members of the Awami league, the East Pakistan Rifles,

1199-571: Is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dacca. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting

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1308-619: Is for our freedom. The struggle this time is for our independence". East Pakistan television broadcasters started broadcasting Rabindranath songs, a taboo in Pakistan, while reducing the air-time of shows from West Pakistan. Civilian interaction with the Pakistan Army were decreased and they were increasingly seen as an occupying force, while local contractors stopped providing supplies to the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army also tried to disarm and dismiss personnel of Bengali origin in

1417-960: Is one of the two female wars heroes of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Captain Sitara Begum is noted for setting up field hospitals for injured Mukti Bahini fighters. Professor Nazma Shaheen, University of Dhaka, and her sister were female members in the Mukti Bahini. The Mukti Bahini was succeeded by the Bangladesh Armed Forces, the Bangladesh Rifles and the Bangladesh Police . Civilian fighters were provided with numerous privileges, including reservations in government jobs and universities. The Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Assembly

1526-562: The 1971 Bangladesh genocide with the massacre at Dhaka University . Civilians took control of arms depots in various cities and began resisting Pakistani forces with the acquired weapons supply. Chittagong experienced heavy fighting between rebel Bengali military units and Pakistani forces. The Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence was broadcast from Kalurghat Radio Station in Chittagong by Major Rahman on behalf of Sheikh Rahman. Bengali forces took control of numerous districts in

1635-596: The Asia Times: At a meeting of the military top brass, Yahya Khan declared: "Kill 3 million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands". Accordingly, on the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army launched Operation Searchlight to "crush" Bengali resistance in which Bengali members of military services were disarmed and killed, students and the intelligentsia systematically liquidated and able-bodied Bengali males just picked up and gunned down. Although

1744-674: The Bangladesh Forces , was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary and civilians during the Bangladesh Liberation War that transformed East Pakistan into Bangladesh in 1971. They were initially called the Mukti Fauj . On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman issued a call to the people of East Pakistan to prepare themselves for an all-out struggle. Later that evening resistance demonstrations began, and

1853-853: The Bangladesh genocide . These systematic killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, resulting in East Pakistan's secession later that year. Bangladeshi media and reference books in English have published casualty figures that vary greatly, from 5,000 to 35,000 in Dacca, and 300,000 to 3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole. Independent researchers, including the British Medical Journal , have put forward figures ranging from 125,000 to 505,000. American political scientist Rudolph Rummel puts total deaths at 1.5 million. The atrocities have been called acts of genocide . According to

1962-579: The Barak Valley shared strong ethnic , linguistic and cultural links with East Pakistan. The war sparked an unprecedented level of unity in the Bengali-speaking world. There was strong support for Bengalis and Mukti Bahini from the Indian media and public. India feared that if the movement for Bangladesh came to be dominated by communists then it would adversely affect its own fight with

2071-794: The East Bengal Regiment and others thought to be disloyal to Pakistan were attacked by the Pakistan army. The survivors of the attack would form the backbone of the Mukti Bahini. When the Pakistan Army started the military crackdown on the Bengali population, they did not expect prolonged resistance. Five battalions of the East Bengal Regiment mutinied and initiated the war for liberation of Bangladesh. On 27 March, on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Major Ziaur Rahman declared Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan and fought his way out of Chittagong City with his unit of Bengali soldiers. In Dhaka , West Pakistani forces began

2180-538: The East Pakistan Rifles , the police and the regular army. The Bengali officers mutinied against the Pakistan Army, and attacked officers from West Pakistan. The Pakistan Army's crackdown on the civilian population contributed to the revolt of East Pakistani soldiers, who escaped to India and formed the main body of the Mukti Bahini. Sheikh Mujib on 26 March 1971 declared the independence of Bangladesh, while Pakistan's president Yahya Khan declared Mujib

2289-556: The Hamoodur Rahman Commission in Pakistan concluded that overwhelming force was used. This fact, and the massacre at Jagannath Hall and nearby student dormitories of Dacca University, are corroborated by a videotape secretly filmed by Professor Nurul Ula of the East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology , whose residence was directly opposite the student dormitories. The scale of

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2398-625: The Lahore Resolution initially envisaged separate Muslim -majority states in British India's eastern and northwestern zones. A proposal for an independent United Bengal was mooted by Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1946 but opposed by the colonial authorities. The East Pakistan Renaissance Society advocated the creation of a sovereign state in eastern British India. Political negotiations led, in August 1947, to

2507-487: The Mukti Bahini —a guerrilla resistance movement formed by Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians—launched a mass guerrilla war against the Pakistani military , liberating numerous towns and cities in the war's initial months. At first, the Pakistan Army regained momentum during the monsoon , but Bengali guerrillas counterattacked by carrying out widespread sabotage, including through Operation Jackpot against

2616-530: The Pakistan Navy , while the nascent Bangladesh Air Force flew sorties against Pakistani military bases. India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikes on northern India. The subsequent Indo-Pakistani War involved fighting on two fronts; with air supremacy achieved in the eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the Allied Forces of Mukti Bahini and

2725-798: The Port of Karachi was subjected to a naval blockade by the Indian Navy. Pakistani generals surrendered to the Mukti Bahini-Indian forces in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. Gafur Bahini was a militia that was formed in the beginning of the Bangladesh War of Independence . Abdul Gafur, Mohiuddin Manik and Benilal Das Gupta took an initiative to create a force, that would fight Pakistani troops in Barisal , It later on merged with

2834-553: The Port of Mongla but were mistakenly bombed by Indian Air Force troops that resulted in the loss of both vessels and some of the lives of the Mukti Bahini and Indian personnel on board. The developing Bangladesh Navy carried out attacks on ships and used sea mines to prevent supply ships from docking in East Pakistani ports. Frogmen were deployed to damage and sabotage ships. The launch of Operation Chengiz Khan by West Pakistan on North India finally drew India into

2943-613: The Tangail District . Hemayet was a former soldier in East Pakistan and his Bahini was raised almost entirely on local supplies. The Independent Bangladesh Radio Station was one of the cultural wings of the Mukti Bahini. The Mukti Bahini operated field hospitals , wireless stations, training camps and prisons. The Mukti Bahini benefited from the early control of Pakistani arms depots, which were overtaken by Bengali forces during March and April 1971. The Mukti Bahini purchased large quantities of military-grade equipment through

3052-668: The West Pakistani military began a full-scale retaliation with Operation Searchlight in the early hours of 26 March 1971, which continued through May 1971. A formal military leadership of the resistance was created in April 1971 under the Provisional Government of Bangladesh . The military council was headed by General M. A. G. Osmani and eleven sector commanders . The Bangladesh Armed Forces were established on 4 April 1971. The most prominent divisions of

3161-537: The government of Bangladesh enacted the National Liberation Struggle (Indemnity) Order to provide indemnity "to those persons in respect of acts done in connection with the national liberation struggle, the maintenance or restoration of order" which was to be enforced retrospectively from 26 March 1972. The Mukti Bahini has been accused of human rights violations by historians on West Pakistanis and Biharis . On 27 March 1971, members of

3270-560: The 1951 assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan , Pakistan's first prime minister, political power began to devolve to the new position of President of Pakistan , which replaced the office of Governor General when Pakistan became a republic, and, eventually, the military. The nominal elected chief executive, the Prime Minister, was frequently sacked by the establishment, acting through the President. The East Pakistanis observed that

3379-536: The 1970s, the people of East Pakistan had given priority to their Bengali ethnicity over their religious identity, desiring a society in accordance with Western principles such as secularism , democracy and socialism. Many Bengali Muslims strongly objected to the Islamist paradigm the Pakistani state imposed. Most members of West Pakistan's ruling elite shared a vision of a liberal society, but nevertheless viewed

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3488-601: The Army, Navy and Air Forces; as well as special brigades including the Z Force . Paramilitary forces, including the East Pakistan Rifles and police, were designated as the Niyomito Bahini (Regular Forces). They were divided between forward battalions and sector troops. Another civilian force was raised and known as the Gonobahini (People's Forces) consisting of lightly trained civilian brigades under military command;

3597-701: The Awami League the majority party in the 313 seat parliament of Pakistan. After the 1970 elections, Yahya Khan hoped for a power sharing agreement between Mujib and Bhutto, though talks between them did not result in a solution. Mujib wanted full autonomy, Bhutto advised Yahya to break off talks. On 1 March 1971, General Yahya Khan suspended the National Assembly of Pakistan which was scheduled to be held on 3 March 1971. On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujib made his now famous speech in Ramna Race course ( Suhrawardy Udyan ) where he declared "The struggle this time

3706-548: The Bangladesh conflict and a joint command structure was established between the Bangladeshi and Indian forces. Three corps of the Indian Armed Forces were supported by three brigades of the Mukti Bahini and the Bengali guerrilla army. The Mukti Bahini and its supporters guided the Indian army and provided them with information about Pakistani troop movements. The Indian and Mukti Bahini greatly outnumbered

3815-564: The Bangladeshis in Italy hail from the districts of Comilla , Dhaka , Faridpur , and Noakhali . 71.6% of them are male. 59% of the Bangladeshi population (15 years and older) is employed – a figure two percentage points higher than that recorded for the non-EU nationals in the country. The Bangladeshi community in Italy has an unemployment rate of 11%, slightly lower than the whole of non-EU nationals. The service sector absorbs over 70% of

3924-472: The Bengali readership. The Awami League's emphasis on secularism differentiated it from the Muslim League. In 1971, the Bangladeshi liberation struggle against Pakistan was led by secular leaders and secularists hailed the Bangladeshi victory as the triumph of secular Bengali nationalism over religion-centred Pakistani nationalism. While Pakistan's government strives for an Islamic state, Bangladesh

4033-594: The Burmah Oil Refinery, numerous ships and oil depots. The Bangladesh naval forces took shape in July. Operation Jackpot was launched by the Bangladesh Forces on 15 August 1971. Bangladesh Navy commandos sank vessels of the Pakistan Navy in Mongla , Chittagong, Chandpur and Narayanganj . The operation was a major propaganda success for Bangladeshi forces, as it exposed to the international community

4142-751: The Chittagong Hill Tracts. On 18 April, the Deputy High Commission of Pakistan in Kolkata defected and hoisted the flag of Bangladesh . On 17 April, the Mujibnagar Government was formed. During May, Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto asked General Yahya Khan to hand over power in West Pakistan to his party. Khan refused on the grounds that doing so would support the view of Mukti Bahini and

4251-926: The Force of Captain Shahjahan. Initially, this force was intended to resist Pakistani rule in southern Barisal. Later on, the militia became known as the Gafur Bahini . The group's weapons and ammunition support was given by Abul Hasnat Abdullah and help from commanders of the Kodaldoa Camp which was situated in Agailjhara , Barisal. Gafur Bahini conducted successful guerilla operations in Banaripara , Jhalakathi , Pirojpur , Swarupkathi and other various areas in Barisal. Gafur Bahini had coordination with

4360-533: The Gonobahini also consisted of battalions created by political activists from the pro-Western Awami League , the pro-Chinese and socialist National Awami Party , led by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani , and the pro-Soviet Communist Party of East Pakistan . The guerrilla movement was composed of three wings: well-armed Action Groups which took part in frontal attacks; military intelligence units; and guerrilla bases. The first conference of sector commanders

4469-400: The Indian artillery and Indian Air force providing direct cover for the Mukti Bahini in some offensives. Attacks on infrastructure and the increase in the reach of the provisional government weakened the control of the Pakistan government. The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) was established on 28 September 1971 under the command of Air Commodore A. K. Khandker . It initially operated from

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4578-419: The Indian army created a number of bases inside East Pakistan for the Mukti Bahini. The railways in East Pakistan were almost completely shut down due to the Mukti Bahini's sabotage. The provincial capital, Dhaka, had become a ghost town with gun-fire and explosions heard throughout the day. After a visit to East Pakistan refugee camps in India in August 1971, US Senator Ted Kennedy believed that Pakistan

4687-506: The Indian military , Pakistan surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December 1971, in what remains to date the largest surrender of armed personnel since the Second World War . Rural and urban areas across East Pakistan saw extensive military operations and air strikes to suppress the tide of civil disobedience that formed after the 1970 election stalemate . The Pakistan Army , backed by Islamists, created radical religious militias—the Razakars , Al-Badr and Al-Shams —to assist it during raids on

4796-438: The Mujib Bahini and conducted several operations with the Mujib Bahini. According to The Daily Star , when Captain Shahjahan established his sub-sector in the southwestern area of Bangladesh, Gafur Bahini merged with his force. After the war, Abdul Gafur and Mohiuddin Manik were awarded Bir Protik for their contribution. The "Mukti Bahini" was divided into two groups; the "Niomito Bahini" – or "regular forces" – who came from

4905-413: The Mukti Bahini became part of the Bangladesh-India Allied Forces . It was instrumental in securing the Surrender of Pakistan and the liberation of Dhaka and other cities in December 1971. East Pakistan campaigned against the usage of Urdu as the sole official language of Pakistan . The Awami League had won the majority in the 1970 Pakistani general election . Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , as

5014-425: The Mukti Bahini secured control over large parts of the Bengali countryside. It conducted successful " ambush and sabotage " campaigns, and included the nascent Bangladesh Air Force and the Bangladesh Navy . The Mukti Bahini received training and weapons from India , where people in West Bengal shared a common Bengali ethnic and linguistic heritage with East Pakistan. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 ,

5123-423: The Mukti Bahini were alleged to have massacred 15000 Biharis in the town of Santahar in the district of Naogaon. They are also accused of raping Bihari women during the war. Mukti Bahini, the Bengali resistance force, backed by Indian government, from East Pakistan, killed non-Bengalis (primarily West Pakistanis and Biharis) in the aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War. The Mukti Bahini has been

5232-478: The Mukti Bahini were the Z Force led by Major Ziaur Rahman , the K Force led by Major Khaled Mosharraf and the S Force led by Major K M Shafiullah . Awami League student leaders formed militia units, including the Mujib Bahini , the Kader Bahini and Hemayet Bahini . The Communist Party of Bangladesh , led by Comrade Moni Singh , and activists from the National Awami Party also operated several guerrilla battalions. Using guerrilla warfare tactics,

5341-513: The Mukti Bahini-Indian joint forces. In Dhaka, the Pakistan Army and its supporting militias began the mass murder of Bengali intellectuals and professionals in a final attempt to eliminate the Bengali intelligentsia . Historian Yasmin Saikia writes that the Pakistani Army, and pro-Pakistani militias looted, raped, and killed civilians in East Pakistan. The Mukti Bahini liberated most of the Dhaka District by mid-December. In Western Pakistan, Indian forces advanced deep into Pakistani territory as

5450-416: The Pakistan army, established the Bangladesh Armed Forces on 4 April 1971. The Provisional Government of Bangladesh placed all Bangladeshi forces under the command of Osmani, who was appointed as the defence minister with the rank of Commander-in-Chief as a four star general . Osmani designated the composition of the Mukti Bahini into several divisions. It included the regular armed forces which covered

5559-502: The Pakistani military. Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the armed forces made up just 5% of the overall force by 1965; of these, only a few were in command positions, with the majority in technical or administrative posts. West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not "martially inclined", unlike Pashtuns and Punjabis ; Bengalis dismissed the " martial races " notion as ridiculous and humiliating. Moreover, despite huge defence spending, East Pakistan received none of

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5668-416: The Provisional Government of Bangladesh that East Pakistan was a colony of West Pakistan. Tensions were raised when Bhutto told his followers that "by November [he] would either be in power or in jail". On 9 June, Mukti Bahini members hijacked a car and launched a grenade attack on Dhaka Intercontinental Hotel, the office of the Pro-Junta Morning Post and the house of Golam Azam . The Mukti Bahini divided

5777-409: The Section 2(11) of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust Act, 2018 (Act No. 51 of 2018) everyone participated in the liberation war is defined as Bir Muktijoddha ( Bengali : বীর মুক্তিযোদ্ধা). The government issued an order by gazette notification on 29 October 2020 saying that the word Bir (heroic) will have to be added to the term freedom fighter. To compulsorily comply with the law, in

5886-416: The West Pakistani establishment swiftly deposed any East Pakistanis elected leader of Pakistan, such as Khawaja Nazimuddin , Mohammad Ali Bogra , Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy , and Iskander Mirza . Their suspicions were further aggravated by the military dictatorships of Ayub Khan (27 October 1958 – 25 March 1969) and Yahya Khan (25 March 1969 – 20 December 1971), both West Pakistanis. The situation reached

5995-624: The arms and equipment used by Mukti Bahini are given below: The genocide by Pakistani forces caused widespread international outrage against West Pakistan. In the United States, Democratic senator Ted Kennedy led a chorus of strong domestic criticism against the Nixon administration for ignoring the genocide of Bengalis in East Pakistan. The Mukti Bahini enjoyed significant international public support. The Bangladeshi provisional government considered setting up an "International Brigade" with European and North American students. French Minister of Cultural Affairs André Malraux vowed to fight on

6104-445: The arms market in Calcutta, including Italian howitzers , Alouette III helicopters, "Dakota" DC-3 aircraft and "Otter" DHC-3 fighter planes. The Mukti Bahini also received a limited supply of equipment from the Indian military, as New Delhi allowed the Bangladeshi forces to operate an independent weapons supply through Calcutta Port . The Mukti Bahini used Sten Guns , Lee–Enfield rifles and Indian-made hand grenades . Some of

6213-450: The atrocities was first made clear in the West, when Anthony Mascarenhas , a Pakistani journalist who had been sent to the province by the military authorities to write a story favourable to Pakistan, instead fled to the United Kingdom and, on 13 June 1971, published an article in The Sunday Times describing the systematic killings by the military. The BBC wrote: "There is little doubt that Mascarenhas' reportage played its part in ending

6322-412: The battlefield alongside the Bangladesh Forces. The Soviet Union threw its weight behind the Bangladesh Forces and India after being convinced of Pakistan's unwillingness for a political solution. Separately, US efforts to woo China through Pakistan led to India signing a friendship treaty with Moscow in August 1971. India increased support to Mukti Bahini after the signing of the treaty. For India,

6431-453: The benefits, such as contracts, purchasing and military support jobs. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 over Kashmir also highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis, as only an under-strength infantry division and 15 combat aircraft without tank support were in East Pakistan to repulse any Indian retaliations during the conflict. In 1947, the Bengali Muslims had identified themselves with Pakistan's Islamic project, but by

6540-407: The conflict between East and West Pakistan developed in March, the Dacca offices of the two government organisations directly involved in relief efforts were closed for at least two weeks, first by a general strike and then by a ban on government work in East Pakistan by the Awami League . With this increase in tension, foreign personnel were evacuated over fears of violence. Relief work continued in

6649-495: The country's capital and more immigrant businessmen in the Western Wing directed greater government allocations there. Due to low numbers of native businessmen in East Pakistan, substantial labour unrest and a tense political environment, there were also much lower foreign investments in the eastern wing. The Pakistani state's economic outlook was geared towards urban industry, which was not compatible with East Pakistan's mainly agrarian economy. Also, Bengalis were underrepresented in

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6758-671: The current situation of Bangladeshis in Italy. On April 13, 2022, Bangla - La serie was released, directed by Phaim Bhuiyan and Emanuele Scaringi , a series sequel of the film. Bangladesh Liberation War Political: [REDACTED] Yahya Khan [REDACTED] Nurul Amin [REDACTED] Tikka Khan [REDACTED] Abdul Motaleb Malik Military: [REDACTED] A. A. K. Niazi   [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Rao Farman Ali   [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Khadim Hussain Raja   [REDACTED] [REDACTED]   Pakistan Armed Forces Systematic events § indicates events in

6867-452: The cyclone hit charged the government with "gross neglect, callous and utter indifference". They also accused the president of playing down the magnitude of the problem in news coverage. On 19 November, students held a march in Dacca protesting the slowness of the government's response. Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a rally of 50,000 people on 24 November, where he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation. As

6976-400: The death of at least 200,000 and possibly as many as 500,000 people while the infrastructure, transport and other services were severely damaged. The central government of Pakistan was blamed for a slow relief response, which created resentment in the population of East Pakistan. The resentment helped the Awami League to win 167 of the 169 parliamentary seats allocated to East Pakistan which made

7085-536: The effectiveness of the Mukti Bahini. Sabotage and ambush missions continued to be carried out, demoralising the Pakistan army. In October, conventional Bangladesh Forces mounted various successful offensives, capturing 90 of the 300 border outposts. The Mukti Bahini intensified guerrilla attacks inside Bangladesh while Pakistan increased reprisals on Bengali civilians, though the movement of Mukti Bahini into, out of, and inside East Pakistan became easier and more common. In November, Indian involvement increased, with

7194-492: The enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla [May Bangladesh be victorious]. Sheikh Mujib also called upon the people to resist the occupation forces through a radio message. Rahman was arrested on the night of 25–26 March 1971 at about 1:30 am (as per Radio Pakistan's news on 29 March 1971). A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration reached some students in Chittagong . The message

7303-441: The field, but long-term planning was curtailed. This conflict widened into the Bangladesh Liberation War in December and concluded with the creation of Bangladesh. This was one of the first times that a natural event helped trigger a civil war. A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army —codenamed Operation Searchlight —started on 25 March 1971 to curb the Bengali independence movement by taking control of

7412-476: The formation of the Mujib Bahini by India which was composed of Sheikh Mujib -loyalists but was not under the command of Mukti Bahini or the provisional government of Bangladesh. On 6 December 1971, India officially recognised Bangladesh as an independent country only hours after Bhutan did the same. Women had served in the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War . The Mukti Bahini trained several female battalions for guerrilla warfare. Taramon Bibi

7521-424: The fragile hold of the West Pakistani occupation. The Bangladesh Navy commandos targeted patrol craft and ships carrying ammunition and commodities. With Indian aid, the Mukti Bahini acquired two vessels, the Padma and Palash, which were retrofitted into gunboats with mine -laying capabilities. The boat crews extensively mined the Passur River in the Sundarbans, reducing the ability of Pakistani forces to operate from

7630-413: The geopolitical landscape of South Asia, with the emergence of Bangladesh as the world's seventh-most populous country. Due to complex regional alliances, the war was a major episode in Cold War tensions involving the United States, the Soviet Union and China. The majority of member states in the United Nations recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation in 1972. Before the Partition of British India ,

7739-405: The initial months of the war, including Brahmanbaria , Faridpur , Barisal , Mymensingh , Comilla and Kushtia among others. With the support of the local population, many towns remained under the control of Bengali forces until April and May 1971. Notable engagements during this period included the Battle of Kamalpur , the Battle of Daruin and the Battle of Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway in

7848-553: The internal resistance movement linked to the Indo-Pakistani War. ‡ indicates events in the Indo-Pakistani War linked to the internal resistance movement in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Liberation War ( Bengali : মুক্তিযুদ্ধ , pronounced [mukt̪iɟud̪d̪ʱo] ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence and known as the Liberation War in Bangladesh , was an armed conflict sparked by

7957-409: The larger population, West Pakistan dominated the divided country politically and received more money from the common budget. East Pakistan was already economically disadvantaged at the time of Pakistan's creation yet this economic disparity only increased under Pakistani rule. Factors included not only the deliberate state discrimination in developmental policies but also the fact that the presence of

8066-476: The leader of the Pakistan People's Party , refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed the idea of having two Prime Ministers, one for each wing. The proposal elicited outrage in the east wing, already chafing under the other constitutional innovation, the "One Unit scheme". Bhutto also refused to accept Rahman's Six Points . On 3 March 1971, the two leaders of

8175-512: The leader of the Awami League, was prevented from forming a government. Bengali was the only language in Pakistan not written in the Persian-Arabic script . The merger of the provinces of West Pakistan into one administrative "unit" caused great suspicion in East Pakistan. Pakistan's unwillingness to give autonomy to East Bengal and Bengali nationalism are both cited as reasons for the separation. The 1970 Bhola Cyclone had caused

8284-507: The left-wing Naxalites . It also did not want the millions of refugees to be permanently stranded in India. Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi , authorised diplomatic, economic and military support to the Bangladesh Forces in April 1971. The Provisional Government of Bangladesh established its secretariat in exile in Calcutta . The Indian Armed Forces provided substantial training and

8393-690: The local populace. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting militias engaged in mass murder, deportation and genocidal rape , pursuing a systematic campaign of annihilation against nationalist Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia , religious minorities and armed personnel. The capital, Dhaka , was the scene of numerous massacres, including the Dhaka University massacre . Sectarian violence also broke out between Bengalis and Urdu-speaking Biharis . An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighbouring India, while 30 million were internally displaced. The war changed

8502-472: The major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. The Pakistani state used anti-Bihari violence by Bengalis in early March to justify Operation Searchlight. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from East Pakistan. The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The operation also began

8611-473: The mobility of the Pakistan Army. However, the Mukti Bahini failed in its Monsoon Offensive after Pakistani reinforcements successfully countered Bengali engagements. Attacks on border outposts in Sylhet, Comilla and Mymensingh had limited success. The training period slowed the momentum of the Bangladesh Forces, which began to pick up after August. After the monsoon , the Mukti Bahini became more effective while

8720-483: The official birth of two states, Pakistan and India, giving presumably permanent homes for Muslims and Hindus, respectively, after the British departed. The Dominion of Pakistan comprised two geographically and culturally separate areas to the east and the west, with India in between. The western zone was popularly (and, for a period, also officially) termed West Pakistan and the eastern zone (modern-day Bangladesh)

8829-649: The paramilitary, military and police forces of East Pakistan , and the Gonnobahini – or "people's forces" – who were civilians. These names were given and defined by the government of Bangladesh . The Indians referred to the Niomito Bahini as "Mukti Fauj", and the Gonnobahini were called "freedom fighters". M. A. G. Osmani , a Bengali veteran of the British Raj forces in World War II and

8938-671: The population in Rome doubled in size, mainly through undocumented migration, to an estimated 10,000 people as of 1995. There are also a significant number of Bangladeshis in Sicily . From 2012, over 20,000 Italian Bangladeshis migrated to the United Kingdom with the advent of Italy's manufacturing decline. The majority of them settled within the British Bangladeshi community in Banglatown , East London . Most of

9047-523: The removal of Bengali script from currency and stamps, which were in place since the British Raj . The movement reached its climax in 1952, when on 21 February, the police fired on protesting students and civilians, causing several deaths. The day is revered in Bangladesh as the Language Movement Day . In memory of the deaths, UNESCO declared 21 February International Mother Language Day in November 1999. Although, East Pakistan had

9156-598: The rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan , which resulted in the independence of Bangladesh . The war began when the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan —under the orders of Yahya Khan —launched Operation Searchlight against East Pakistanis on the night of 25 March 1971, initiating the Bangladesh genocide . In response to the violence, members of

9265-482: The same time as a local high tide , killing an estimated 300,000 people. A 2017 World Meteorological Organization panel considers it the deadliest tropical cyclone since at least 1873. A week after the landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made "slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts due to a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the disaster. A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after

9374-470: The state of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971 . Most Bengalis supported this move, although some Islamists and Biharis opposed it and sided with the Pakistan Army instead. Pakistani President Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan ordered the Pakistani military to restore the Pakistani government's authority, beginning the civil war. The war led a substantial number of refugees (estimated at the time to be about 10 million) to flood India's eastern provinces . Facing

9483-534: The station and also read the Declaration on 27 March 1971. He broadcast the announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: This is Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that Independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken the command as

9592-539: The subject of numerous artwork , literature, films and television productions. Bir Sreshtho (The Most Valiant Hero) is the highest military honour in Bangladesh and was awarded to seven Mukti Bahini fighters. They were Ruhul Amin , Mohiuddin Jahangir , Mostafa Kamal , Hamidur Rahman , Munshi Abdur Rouf , Nur Mohammad Sheikh and Matiur Rahman . The other three gallantry awards in decreasing order of importance are Bir Uttom , Bir Bikrom and Bir Protik . In

9701-632: The temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalees to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our motherland. Victory is, by the Grace of Allah, ours. Joy Bangla. The Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited, but the message was picked up by a Japanese ship in the Bay of Bengal . It

9810-780: The three Pakistani army divisions of East Pakistan. The Battle of Sylhet , the Battle of Garibpur , the Battle of Boyra , the Battle of Hilli and the Battle of Kushtia were major joint engagements for the Bangladeshi and Indian forces, who swiftly captured surrounding land by selectively engaging or bypassing heavily defended strongholds. For example, the Meghna Heli Bridge airlifted Bangladeshi and Indian forces from Brahmanbaria to Narsingdi over Pakistani defences in Ashuganj . The cities of Jessore , Mymensingh , Sylhet , Kushtia , Noakhali and Moulvibazar quickly fell to

9919-462: The treaty was an important insurance policy against a possible Chinese intervention on the side of Pakistan. China had fought a brief war with India in 1962. Both the US and China, however, ultimately failed to mobilise adequate support for Pakistan. Ten million Bengali refugees fled into neighbouring India because of famine and ravages of the Pakistan army, where the regions of West Bengal , Tripura and

10028-466: The two most easterly branches of the Indo-European languages . Bengali speakers constituted over 56% of Pakistan's population. The government stand was widely viewed as an attempt to suppress the culture of the eastern wing. The people of East Bengal demanded that their language be given federal status alongside Urdu and English. The Language Movement began in 1948, as civil society protested

10137-571: The two wings along with the President General Yahya Khan met in Dacca to decide the fate of the country. After their discussions yielded no satisfactory results, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a nationwide strike . Bhutto feared a civil war, therefore, he sent his trusted companion, Mubashir Hassan . A message was conveyed, and Rahman decided to meet Bhutto. Upon his arrival, Rahman met with Bhutto and both agreed to form

10246-470: The use of its bases for the Bangladesh Forces. The Bangladesh liberation guerrillas operated training camps in the Indian states of Bihar , Arunachal Pradesh, Assam , Nagaland, Mizoram , Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal. Mukti Bahini were allowed by India to cross the border at will. Some Mukti Bahini, especially those who served in the security services of Pakistan, were suspicious of Indian involvement and wished to minimise its role. They also resented

10355-461: The violence focused on the provincial capital, Dacca, it also affected all parts of East Pakistan. Residential halls of the University of Dacca were particularly targeted. The only Hindu residential hall— Jagannath Hall —was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered. The Pakistani army denied any cold-blooded killings at the university, but

10464-556: The war zone into eleven sectors . The war strategy included a huge guerrilla force operating inside Bangladesh that targeted Pakistani installations through raids, ambushes and sabotaging West Pakistani-controlled shipping ports, power plants, industries, railways and warehouses. The wide dispersion of West Pakistani forces allowed Bengali guerrillas to target smaller groups of enemy soldiers. Groups ranging in size from five to ten guerrillas were assigned specific missions. Bridges, culverts , fuel depots and ships were destroyed to decrease

10573-519: The war. It helped turn world opinion against Pakistan and encouraged India to play a decisive role", with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi saying that Mascarenhas' article led her "to prepare the ground for India's armed intervention". Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani Army. Yahya Khan appointed Brigadier (later General) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal prosecuting Rahman with multiple charges. The tribunal's sentence

10682-415: The workers belonging to the community. The percentage of Bangladeshis employed in industry is 22%. About 33% of Bangladeshis employed earn a monthly income below €800. Preponderant is the income class between €800 and €1,200, accounting for 48% of the community's employed. The Italian blockbuster Bangla , was released in 2019, which won awards for two consecutive years after its release. The film displayed

10791-544: Was committing a genocide. Golam Azam called for Pakistan to attack India and to annexe Assam in retaliation for India providing help to the Mukti Bahini. Azam accused India of shelling East Pakistani border areas on a daily basis. Oxfam predicted the deaths of over one hundred thousand children in refugee camps and that more could die from food shortages in East Pakistan because of the conflict. Regular Mukti Bahini battalions were formed in September 1971, increasing

10900-408: Was established secular. After the liberation victory, the Awami League attempted to build a secular order and the pro-Pakistan Islamist parties were barred from political participation. The majority of East Pakistani ulama had either remained neutral or supported the Pakistani state, since they felt that the break-up of Pakistan would be detrimental for Islam. Although East Pakistan accounted for

11009-499: Was formed to represent former guerrillas. Bangladesh Liberation War ministry is responsible for looking after the welfare of Mukti Bahini members. The widespread availability of arms created serious law and order concerns for the Bangladesh government after the war. A few militia units are alleged to have taken part in reprisal attacks against the Urdu-speaking population following the Pakistani surrender. On 28 February 1973

11118-614: Was held during July 1971, starting on 11 July and ending 17 July. Prominent sector commanders included defector officers and soldiers from the Pakistan Armed Forces, including Major Ziaur Rahman, Major Khaled Mosharraf , Major K M Shafiullah , Captain A. N. M. Nuruzzaman , Major Chitta Ranjan Dutta , Wing Commander M Khademul Bashar , Major Nazmul Huq , Major Quazi Nuruzzaman , Major Abu Osman Chowdhury , Major Abul Manzoor , Major M. A. Jalil , Major Abu Taher and Squadron Leader M. Hamidullah Khan . The Mujib Bahini

11227-413: Was ignored by the ruling (West Pakistani) establishment, rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met by brutal and suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment, in what came to be termed Operation Searchlight . The Pakistan Army's violent crackdown led to Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declaring East Pakistan's independence as

11336-513: Was initially termed East Bengal and later East Pakistan. Although the two zones' population was close to equal, political power was concentrated in West Pakistan, and it was widely perceived that East Pakistan was being exploited economically, leading to many grievances. Administration of two discontinuous territories was also seen as a challenge. On 25 March 1971, after an election won by an East Pakistani political party (the Awami League )

11445-541: Was led by Awami League youth leaders Serajul Alam Khan , Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni , Tofael Ahmed and Abdur Razzak . An Australian war veteran, William A. S. Ouderland , organised guerrilla warfare in Dacca and provided vital intelligence to the Bangladesh Forces. He was awarded the Bir Protik for his actions by the government of Bangladesh. Left-wing politicians Kader Siddique , Hemayet Uddin and Moni Singh created several guerrilla units. Kader Siddique operated in

11554-471: Was never made public, but Yahya caused the verdict to be held in abeyance in any case. Other Awami League leaders were arrested as well, while a few fled Dacca to avoid arrest. The Awami League was banned by General Yahya Khan. The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971 proved the last straw to the efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these incidents, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration that read: Today, Bangladesh

11663-475: Was then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later by the BBC. Mukti Bahini Systematic events § indicates events in the internal resistance movement linked to the Indo-Pakistani War. ‡ indicates events in the Indo-Pakistani War linked to the internal resistance movement in Bangladesh. The Mukti Bahini ( Bengali : মুক্তি বাহিনী , romanized :  Mukti Bahinee ), also known as

11772-551: Was translated into Bengali by Manjula Anwar. The students failed to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby Agrabad Station of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation , but the message was read several times by the independent Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro Radio established by rebel Bangali Radio workers in Kalurghat. Major Ziaur Rahman was requested to provide security for

11881-450: Was unacceptable to the West Pakistani elite, who believed that it had assimilated considerable Hindu cultural influences. West Pakistanis, in an attempt to "Islamise" the East, wanted the Bengalis to adopt Urdu. The activities of the language movement nurtured a sentiment among Bengalis in favour of discarding Pakistan's communalism in favour of secular politics. The Awami League began propagating its secular message through its newspaper to

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