Role of Indira Gandhi in Formation of Bangladesh

14/07/2018 Bangladesh Liberation War - Wikipedia
The Bangladesh Liberation War[a](Bengali: মু যু Muktijuddho), also known as the Bangladesh War of
Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh, was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the
rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determinationmovement in what was then East Pakistanduring the 1971
Bangladesh genocide. It resulted in the independence of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The war began
after the Pakistani military juntabased in West Pakistanlaunched Operation Searchlight against the people of
East Pakistan on the night of 25 March 1971. It pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians,
students, intelligentsia, religious minorities and armed personnel. The junta annulled the results of the 1970
elections and arrested Prime minister-designateSheikh Mujibur Rahman. The war ended on 16 December 1971
after West Pakistan surrendered.
Rural and urban areas across East Pakistan saw extensive military operations and air strikes to suppress the tide
of civil disobedience that formed following the 1970 election stalemate. The Pakistan Army, which had the
backing of Islamists, created radical religious militias – the Razakars, Al-Badrand Al-Shams – to assist it during
raids on the local populace.[13][14][15][16][17]Urdu-speaking Biharis in Bangladesh (ethnic minority) were also in
support of Pakistani military. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting militias engaged in mass murder,
deportation and genocidal rape. The capital Dhaka was the scene of numerous massacres, including
the Operation Searchlight and Dhaka University massacre. An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to
neighboring India, while 30 million were internally displaced.[18]Sectarian violencebroke out between Bengalis
and Urdu-speaking immigrants. An academic consensus prevails that the atrocities committed by the Pakistani
military were a genocide.
The Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from Chittagong by members of the Mukti
Bahini – the national liberation army formed by Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians. The East Bengal
Regiment and the East Pakistan Riflesplayed a crucial role in the resistance. Led by General M. A. G.
Osmani and eleven sector commanders, the Bangladesh Forceswaged a mass guerrilla war against the
Pakistani military. They liberated numerous towns and cities in the initial months of the conflict. The Pakistan
Army regained momentum in the monsoon. Bengali guerrillas carried out widespread sabotage,
including Operation Jackpot against the Pakistan Navy. The nascent Bangladesh Air Force flew sortiesagainst
Pakistani military bases. By November, the Bangladesh forces restricted the Pakistani military to its barracks
during the night. They secured control of most parts of the countryside.[19]
The Provisional Government of Bangladesh was formed on 17 April 1971 in Mujibnagar and moved
to Calcutta as a government in exile. Bengali members of the Pakistani civil, military and diplomatic
corpsdefected to the Bangladeshi provisional government. Thousands of Bengali families were internedin West
Pakistan, from where many escaped to Afghanistan. Bengali cultural activists operated the clandestine Free
Bengal Radio Station. The plight of millions of war-ravaged Bengali civilians caused worldwide outrage and
alarm. The Indian state led by Indira Gandhiprovided substantial diplomatic, economic and military support to
Bangladeshi nationalists. British, Indian and American musicians organised the world's first benefit concert in
New York City to support the Bangladeshi people. Senator Ted Kennedyin the United States led a congressional
campaign for an end to Pakistani military persecution; while US diplomats in East Pakistan
strongly dissented with the Nixon administration's close ties to the Pakistani military dictator Yahya Khan.
India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikeson North India. The
subsequent Indo-Pakistani Warwitnessed engagements on two war fronts. With air supremacy achieved in the
eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the Allied Forces of Bangladesh and India, Pakistan surrendered in
Dacca on 16 December 1971.
The war changed the geopolitical landscape of South Asia, with the emergence of Bangladesh as the seventh-
most populous country in the world. Due to complex regional alliances, the war was a major episode in Cold
Wartensions involving the United States, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. The majority of
member states in the United Nations recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation in 1972.
Contents [hide]
1 Background
1.1 Language controversy
1.2 Disparities
1.3 Religious and cultural differences
1.4 Political differences
1.5 Response to the 1970 cyclone
1.6 Operation Searchlight
1.7 Declaration of independence
2 Liberation war
2.1 March–June
2.2 June–September
2.3 October–December
3 Indian involvement
3.1 Air and naval war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh_Liberation_War 1/17
4 Surrender and aftermath

4.1 Reaction in West Pakistan to the war
5 Atrocities
6 Foreign reaction
6.1 United Nations
6.2 Bhutan
6.3 US and USSR
6.4 China
7 In popular culture
8 See also
9 Footnotes
10 References
11 Further reading
12 External links
Background
Prior to the Partition of British India, the Lahore
Resolution initially envisaged separate Muslim-majority
states in the eastern and northwestern zones of British
India. A proposal for an independent United Bengal was
mooted by Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardyin
1946, but was opposed by the colonial authorities. The East
Pakistan Renaissance Society advocated the creation of
a sovereign state in eastern British India. Eventually,
political negotiations led, in August 1947, to the official birth
of two states, Pakistan and India,[20] giving presumably
permanent homes for Muslims and Hindus respectively
following the departure of the British. The Dominion of
Pakistancomprised two geographically and culturally
separate areas to the east and the west with India in
between.[21] The western zone was popularly (and for a
period, also officially) termed West Pakistan and the
Map of the British Raj in 1909
eastern zone (modern-day Bangladesh) was initially
showing Muslimmajority areas in green, including
termed East Bengal and later, East Pakistan. Although the
population of the two zones was close to equal, political modern-day Bangladesh on the east and Pakistan on
power was concentrated in West Pakistan and it was widely the west.
perceived that East Pakistan was being exploited
economically, leading to many grievances. Administration of
two discontinuous territories was also seen as a challenge.[22] On 25 March 1971, after an election won by an
East Pakistani political party (the Awami League) was ignored by the ruling (West Pakistani) establishment, rising
political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met by brutal[23]suppressive force from the
ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment,[24] in what came to be termed Operation Searchlight.[25] The
violent crackdown by the Pakistan Army[26]led to Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declaring East
Pakistan's independence as the state of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971.[27]Most Bengalis threw their support
behind this move although Islamists and Biharis opposed this and sided with the Pakistan Army
instead.[28] Pakistani President Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan ordered the Pakistani military to restore the
Pakistani government's authority, beginning the civil war.[27] The war led to a sea of refugees (estimated at the
time to be about 10 million)[29][30] flooding into the eastern provinces of India.[31]Facing a mounting humanitarian
and economic crisis, India started actively aiding and organising the Bangladeshi resistance army known as
the Mukti Bahini.
Language controversy
Main article: Language Movement
In 1948, Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared that "Urdu, and only Urdu" would be the federal
language of Pakistan.[32][33]However, Urdu was historically prevalent only in the north, central, and western
region of the subcontinent; whereas in East Bengal, the native language was Bengali, one of the two most
easterly branches of the Indo-European languages.[34] The Bengali-speaking people of Pakistan constituted over
30% of the country'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 the removal of the Bengali
scriptfrom 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. Later, in memory of the deaths in 1952, UNESCO declared 21
February as International Mother Language Day in November 1999.[35]
Disparities
Although East Pakistan had a larger population, West Pakistan
dominated the divided country politically and received more money from
the common budget. Language movement memorial
Spending on West Spending on East Amount spent on

Year Pakistan (in millions Pakistan (in millions East as percentage
of Pakistani rupees) of Pakistani rupees) of West
1950–55 11,290 5,240 46.4
1955–60 16,550 5,240 31.7
1960–65 33,550 14,040 41.8
1965–70 51,950 21,410 41.2
Total 113,340 45,930 40.5
Source: Reports of the Advisory Panels for the Fourth Five Year Plan 1970–75, Vol. I,
published by the planning commission of Pakistan.
Bengalis were under-represented in the Pakistan military. Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the
armed forces made up just 5% of overall force by 1965; of these, only a few were in command positions, with the
majority in technical or administrative posts.[36]West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not "martially
inclined" unlike Pashtuns and Punjabis; the "Martial races" notion was dismissed as ridiculous and humiliating by
Bengalis.[36] Moreover, despite huge defence spending, East Pakistan received none of the benefits, such as
contracts, purchasing and military support jobs. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965over 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 thwart any Indian retaliations during the conflict.[37][38]
Religious and cultural differences

The only common bond between the two Pakistani wings was religion. But there were differences even in
religious practices. Bengali Muslims tended to be less conservative in religious zeal, and had come to accept
their Hindu minority and neighbours despite some communal clashes.[39] Many Bengali Muslims strongly
objected to the Islamist paradigm imposed by the Pakistani state.[40] Most members of West Pakistan's ruling
elite also belonged to a liberal society, yet understood a common faith as the mobilising factor behind Pakistan's
creation and the subsuming of Pakistan's multiple identities into one.[40]
Cultural and linguistic differences between the two wings outweighed any religious unity. The Bengalis were very
proud of their culture and language which, with its Eastern Nagariscript and Palivocabulary, was unacceptable to
the West Pakistani elite, who considered it to smack of Hindu culture.[41]
The Bangladeshi liberation struggle against Pakistan was led by secular leaders.[42] With this reality and the
feeling of Islamic solidarity in the background, Islamists in East Pakistan viewed Bengali nationalism as
unacceptable and instead sided with the Pakistani Army's efforts to crush the Bengali independence
movement.[43]Secularists hailed the Bangladeshi victory as the triumph of secular Bengali nationalism over
religion-centred Pakistani nationalism.[44]
Most of the politically-active ulama of East Pakistan either remained neutral or sided with the Pakistani state,
since they perceived the break-up of Pakistan as a loss for Islam.[45]
Political differences
Although East Pakistan accounted for a slight majority of the country's population,[46] 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, where all of West Pakistan was considered one province. This was solely to counterbalance the East
wing's votes.
After the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first prime minister, in 1951, political power began to
devolve to the new 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 the West Pakistani establishment would swiftly depose any East Pakistanis
elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, such as Khawaja Nazimuddin, Mohammad Ali Bogra, or Huseyn Shaheed
Suhrawardy. 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 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), the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of
Pakistan.[47]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 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.[47] A message was conveyed, and
Rahman decided to meet Bhutto.[47] Upon his arrival, Rahman met with Bhutto and both agreed to form a
coalition government with Rahman as Premier and Bhutto as President.[47] However, the military was unaware of
these developments, and Bhutto increased his pressure on Rahman to reach a decision.[47]
On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (soon to be the prime minister) delivered a speech at the Racecourse
Ground (now called the Suhrawardy Udyan). In this speech he mentioned a further four-point condition to
consider at the National Assembly Meeting on 25 March:
The immediate lifting of martial law.
Immediate withdrawal of all military personnel to their barracks.
An inquiry into the loss of life.
Immediate transfer of power to the elected representative of the people before the assembly meeting 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 Airlinescancelled all their international routes to urgently fly
"government passengers" to Dacca. These "government passengers" were almost all Pakistani soldiers in civilian
dress. MV Swat, 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.
Response to the 1970 cyclone

The 1970 Bhola cyclone made landfallon the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of 12 November, around
the same time as a local high tide,[48] killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people. Though the exact death toll
is not known, it is considered the deadliest tropical cyclone on record.[49] 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.[50]
A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after 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.[51] On 19 November, students held a march in Dacca protesting
the slowness of the government's response.[52] Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashaniaddressed a rally of 50,000 people
on 24 November, where he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation.
As 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 the field, but long-term planning was
curtailed.[53] 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.[54]
Operation Searchlight
Main article: Operation Searchlight
A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army –
codenamed Operation Searchlight – started on 25 March 1971 to curb
the Bengaliindependence movement[25] by taking control of the major
cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or
military,[55] within one month. The Pakistani state claimed to justify
starting Operation Searchlight on the basis of anti-Bihari violence by
Bengalis in early March.[56]
Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were
systematically deported from East Pakistan.[57]
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
the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. These systematic killings served only to
enrage the Bengalis, which ultimately resulted in the secession of East
Pakistan later in the same year. Bangladeshi media and reference books
in English have published casualty figures which vary greatly, from
5,000–35,000 in Dacca, and 200,000–3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a
whole,[58] although independent researchers, including the British
Medical Journal, have put forward the figure ranging from between
125,000 and 505,000.[59] American political scientistRudolph Location of Bengali and Pakistani
Rummel puts total deaths at 1.5 million.[60] The atrocities have been military units during Operation
referred to as acts of genocide.[61] Searchlight, March 1971
According to the Asia Times,[62]
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
Searchlightto "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 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, though the Hamoodur
Rahman Commission in Pakistan concluded that overwhelming force was used at the university. 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.[63]
The scale of 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's actions,
instead fled to the United Kingdom and, on 13 June 1971, published an article in The Sunday Timesdescribing
the systematic killings by the military. The BBCwrote: "There is little doubt that Mascarenhas' reportage played its
part in ending the war. It helped turn world opinion against Pakistan and encouraged India to play a decisive
role", with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhiherself stating that Mascarenhas' article has led her "to prepare the
ground for India's armed intervention".[64]
Hindu areas suffered particularly heavy blows. By midnight, Dacca was burning, especially the Hindu-dominated
eastern part of the city. Timemagazine reported on 2 August 1971, "The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of
the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Pakistani military hatred."[65]
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 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.[66]
Declaration of independence
See also: Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence and 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu
The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971 proved the
last straw to the efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these outrages,
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration that read:
Today Bangladesh 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
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). Following the Pakistan
Army's brutal Operation
A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration reached
Searchlight on 25 March
some students in Chittagong. The message was translated to Bengali by Dr.
Manjula Anwar. The students failed to secure permission from higher 1971, Sheikh Mujibur
authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby Agrabad Station Rahmandeclared
of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation. However, the message was read the Independence of
several times by the independent Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro Radio Bangladesh and called for
established by some rebel Bangali Radio workers in Kalurghat. Major Ziaur nationwide resistance on 26
Rahman was requested to provide security of the station and he also read the March midnight which led the
Declaration on 27 March 1971.[68]Major Ziaur Rahmanbroadcast Bangladesh Liberation War to
announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur officially start within hours.
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 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.[69]
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 was then
re-transmitted by Radio Australia[70] and later by the British Broadcasting
Corporation.
M. A. Hannan, an Awami League leader from Chittagong, is said to have made
the first announcement of the declaration of independence over the radio on
An iconic poster by Quamrul
26 March 1971.[71]
Hassan on General Yahya
26 March 1971 is considered the official Independence Day of Bangladesh, Khan, representing the Pakistani
and the name Bangladesh was in effect henceforth. In July 1971, Indian Prime military junta as demons.[67]
Minister Indira Gandhiopenly referred to the former East Pakistan as
Bangladesh.[72] Some Pakistani and Indian officials continued to use the name
"East Pakistan" until 16 December 1971.
Liberation war
Main articles: Mukti Bahini and Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War
March–June
At first, resistance was spontaneous and disorganised, and was not expected to be prolonged.[73] However,
when the Pakistani Army cracked down upon the population, resistance grew. The Mukti Bahini became
increasingly active. The Pakistani military sought to quell them, but increasing numbers of Bengali soldiers
defected to this underground "Bangladesh army". These Bengali units slowly merged into the Mukti Bahini and
bolstered their weaponry with supplies from India. Pakistan responded by airlifting in two infantry divisions and
reorganising their forces. They also raised paramilitary forces of Razakars, Al-Badrs and Al-Shams (who were
mostly members of the Muslim League and other Islamist groups), as well as other Bengalis who opposed
independence, and Bihari Muslims who had settled during the time of partition.
On 17 April 1971, a provisional government was formed in Meherpur District in western Bangladesh bordering
India with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was in prison in Pakistan, as President, Syed Nazrul Islam as Acting
President, Tajuddin Ahmad as Prime Minister, and General Muhammad Ataul Ghani Osmani as Commander-in-
Chief, Bangladesh Forces. As fighting grew between the occupation army and the Bengali Mukti Bahini, an
estimated 10 million Bengalis sought refuge in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal.[74]
June–September
See also: List of sectors in the Bangladesh Liberation
War and Military plans of the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh forces command was set up on 11 July, with Col. M. A. G.
Osmani as commander-in-chief (C-in-C) with the status of Cabinet
Minister, Lt. Col., Abdur Rabb as chief of Staff (COS), Group Captain A
K Khandker as Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) and Major A R Chowdhury
as Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS).
General Osmani had differences of opinion with the Indian leadership
regarding the role of the Mukti Bahini in the conflict. Indian leadership
initially envisioned Bengali forces to be trained into a small elite guerrilla
force of 8,000 members, led by the surviving East Bengal
Regiment soldiers operating in small cells around Bangladesh to
facilitate the eventual Indian intervention,[75]but with the Bangladesh
government in exile, General Osmani favoured a different strategy:[76][77]
Bengali conventional forces would occupy lodgment areas inside
Bangladesh and then the Bangladesh government would request
international diplomatic recognition and intervention.
Initially Mymensingh was picked for this operation, but Gen. Osmani
later settled on Sylhet.
Sending the maximum number to guerrillas inside Bangladesh as The eleven sectors during the
soon as possible with the following objectives:[78][79] Bangladesh Liberation War.
Increasing Pakistani casualties through raids and ambush.

Cripple economic activity by hitting power stations, railway lines,
storage depots and communication networks.
Destroy Pakistan army mobility by blowing up bridges/culverts,
fuel depots, trains and river crafts.
The strategic objective was to make the Pakistanis spread their
forces inside the province, so attacks could be made on isolated
Pakistani detachments.
Bangladesh was divided into eleven sectors in July,[80] each with a
commander chosen from defected officers of the Pakistani army who
joined the Mukti Bahini to conduct guerrilla operations and train fighters.
Most of their training camps were situated near the border area and
were operated with assistance from India. The 10th Sector was directly
placed under the Commander in Chief (C-in-C) General M. A. G. Osmani
and included the Naval Commandos and C-in-C's special force.[81]Three
brigades (11 Battalions) were raised for conventional warfare; a large
guerrilla force (estimated at 100,000) was trained.[82]
Three brigades (eight infantry battalions and three artillery batteries)
were put into action between July and September.[83] During June and
July, Mukti Bahini had regrouped across the border with Indian aid
through Operation Jackpot and began sending 2000–5000 guerrillas
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across the border,[84] the so-called Monsoon Offensive, which for various
reasons (lack of proper training, supply shortage, lack of a proper former BeatleGeorge Harrison's
support network inside Bangladesh) failed to achieve its "Bangla Desh" single, released in July
objectives.[85][86][87]Bengali regular forces also attacked BOPs 1971 to raise international awareness
in Mymensingh, Comillaand Sylhet, but the results were mixed. Pakistani and funds for the millions of
Bangladeshi refugees.
authorities concluded that they had successfully contained the Monsoon

Offensive, which proved a near-accurate observation.[88][89]
Guerrilla operations, which slackened during the training phase, picked up after August. Economic and military
targets in Dacca were attacked. The major success story was Operation Jackpot, in which naval commandos
mined and blew up berthed ships in Chittagong, Mongla, Narayanganj and Chandpur on 15 August 1971.[90][91]
October–December
See also: Mitro Bahini Order of Battle December 1971; Pakistan Army order of battle,
Major battles December 1971; Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan; and Operation Jackpot
Battle of Boyra Bangladeshi conventional forces attacked border outposts. Kamalpur, Belonia and
Battle of Garibpur the Battle of Boyra are a few examples. 90 out of 370 BOPs fell to Bengali forces.
Battle of Dhalai Guerrilla attacks intensified, as did Pakistani and Razakar reprisals on civilian
Battle of Hilli populations. Pakistani forces were reinforced by eight battalions from West Pakistan. The
Battle of Kushtia Bangladeshi independence fighters even managed to temporarily
capture airstrips at Lalmonirhatand Shalutikar.[2] Both of these were used for flying in
supplies and arms from India. Pakistan sent another five battalions from West Pakistan as
reinforcements.
Indian involvement
See also: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
All unprejudiced persons objectively surveying

the grim events in Bangladesh since March 25
have recognised the revolt of 75 million people,
a people who were forced to the conclusion that
neither their life, nor their liberty, to say nothing
of the possibility of the pursuit of happiness, was
available to them.
— Indira Gandhi, Letter to Richard Nixon, 15
December 1971
Indian Prime Minister Indira

Gandhi had concluded that
instead of taking in millions
of refugees, India would be
economically better to go to
war against Pakistan.[92] As
early as 28 April 1971, the
Indian Cabinet had asked
Illustration showing military units and troop

movements during the war.
General Manekshaw (Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee) to "Go into

East Pakistan".[93]Hostile relations in the past between India and Pakistan added
to India's decision to intervene in Pakistan's civil war. Resultantly, the Indian Indira Gandhi
government decided to support the creation of a separate state for ethnic
Bengalis by supporting the Mukti Bahini. RAW helped to organise, train and arm
these insurgents. Consequently, the Mukti Bahini succeeded in harassing
Pakistani military in East Pakistan, thus creating conditions conducive for a full-
scale Indian military intervention in early December.[92]
The Pakistan Air Force(PAF) launched a pre-emptive strike on Indian Air Force
bases on 3 December 1971. The attack was modelled on the Israeli Air
Force's Operation Focus during the Six-Day War, and intended to neutralise
the Indian Air Forceplanes on the ground. The strike was seen by India as an
open act of unprovoked aggression, which marked the official start of the Indo- Allied Indian T-55 tanks on
Pakistani War. As a response to the attack, both India and Pakistan formally their way to Dacca
acknowledged the "existence of a state of war between the two countries" even
though neither government had formally issued a declaration of war.[94]
Three Indian corpswere involved in the liberation of East Pakistan. They were supported by nearly
three brigades of Mukti Bahini fighting alongside them, and many more who were fighting irregularly. That was far
superior to the Pakistani army of three divisions.[95] The Indians quickly overran the country, selectively engaging
or bypassing heavily defended strongholds. Pakistani forces were unable to effectively counter the Indian attack,
as they had been deployed in small units around the border to counter the guerrilla attacks by the Mukti
Bahini.[96] Unable to defend Dacca, the Pakistanis surrendered on 16 December 1971.
Air and naval war

The Indian Air Force carried out several sorties against Pakistan, and within a week, IAF aircraft dominated the
skies of East Pakistan. It achieved near-total air supremacy by the end of the first week, as the entire Pakistani
air contingent in the east, PAF No.14 Squadron, was grounded because of Indian and Bangladesh airstrikes at
Tejgaon, Kurmitolla, Lal Munir Hat and Shamsher Nagar. Sea Hawks from the carrier INS Vikrant also struck
Chittagong, Barisal and Cox's Bazar, destroying the eastern wing of the Pakistan Navy and effectively blockading
the East Pakistan ports, thereby cutting off any escape routes for the stranded Pakistani soldiers. The
nascent Bangladesh Navy(comprising officers and sailors who defected from the Pakistani Navy) aided the
Indians in the marine warfare, carrying out attacks, most notably Operation Jackpot.[97]
Surrender and aftermath

Further information: Pakistani Instrument of Surrender
See also: Delhi Agreement
On 16 December 1971, Lt. Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, CO of
Pakistan Army forces located in East Pakistan signed the Instrument of
Surrender. At the time of surrender only a few countries had
provided diplomatic recognitionto the new nation. Over 93,000 Pakistani
troops surrendered to the Indian forces & Bangladesh Liberation forces,
making it the largest surrender since World War II,[8][98]although the
Pakistani Army had fought gallantly according to Indian Army Chief Sam
Manekshaw.[99]Bangladesh sought admission in the UN with most voting
in its favour, but China vetoed this as Pakistan was its key ally.[100]The
United States, also a key ally of Pakistan, was one of the last nations to
accord Bangladesh recognition.[101] To ensure a smooth transition, in
Signing of Pakistani Instrument of
1972 the Simla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan. The
Surrender by Pakistan's Lt.Gen. A. A.
treaty ensured that Pakistan recognised the independence of
Bangladesh in exchange for the return of the Pakistani PoWs. India K. Niazi in the presence of Indian
treated all the PoWs in strict accordance with the Geneva Convention, military officers in Dhaka on 16 Dec'
rule 1925. [102] It released more than 93,000 Pakistani PoWs in five 1971.
months.[8]Further, as a gesture of goodwill, nearly 200 soldiers who were
sought for war crimesby Bengalis were also pardoned by India. The
accord also gave back 13,000 km2(5,019 sq mi) of land that Indian troops had seized in West Pakistan during the
war, though India retained a few strategic areas;[103]most notably Kargil(which would in turn again be the focal
point for a war between the two nations in 1999). This was done as a measure of promoting "lasting peace" and
was acknowledged by many observers as a sign of maturity by India. However, some in India[104] felt that the
treaty had been too lenient to Bhutto, who had pleaded for leniency, arguing that the fragile democracy in
Pakistan would crumble if the accord was perceived as being overly harsh by Pakistanis.
Reaction in West Pakistan to the war

Reaction to the defeat and dismemberment of half the nation was a shocking loss to top military and civilians
alike. Few had expected that they would lose the formal war in under a fortnight, and there was also
unsettlement over what was perceived as a meek surrender of the army in East Pakistan. Yahya Khan's
dictatorship collapsed and gave way to Bhutto, who took the opportunity to rise to power. General Niazi, who
surrendered along with 93,000 troops, was viewed with suspicion and contempt upon his return to Pakistan. He
was shunned and branded a traitor. The war also exposed the shortcomings of Pakistan's declared strategic
doctrine that the "defence of East Pakistan lay in West Pakistan".[105][106]
Main articles: 1971 Bangladesh genocide, 1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals, and Rape during the
Bangladesh Liberation War
During the war there were widespread killings and other atrocities –
including the displacement of civilians in Bangladesh (East Pakistan at
the time) and widespread violations of human rights began with the start
of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971. Members of the Pakistani
militaryand supporting Islamist militias from Jamaat e Islami killed an
estimated 300,000[64]to 3,000,000 people and raped between 200,000
and 400,000 Bangladeshi women in a systematic campaign of genocidal
rape.[107][108][109] Some Islamic clerics issued fatwas (a ruling on a point
of Islamic law) in support of raping Bengali women, especially Hindu
women, as they considered the conflict a holy war.[110] During the war,
a fatwa in Pakistan declared that the Bengali freedom fighters were
Hindus and that their women could be taken as "the booty of war".[111] Memorial for freedom fighters
A large section of the intellectual community of Bangladesh were
murdered, mostly by the Al-Shams and Al-Badr forces,[112] at the
instruction of the Pakistani Army.[113]Just two days before the surrender,
on 14 December 1971, Pakistan Army and Razakar militia (local
collaborators) picked up at least 100 physicians, professors, writers and
engineers in Dacca, and murdered them, leaving the dead bodies in a
mass grave.[114]
Many mass graves have been discovered in Bangladesh.[115] The first
night of war on Bengalis, which is documented in telegrams from the
American Consulate in Dacca to the United States State Department,
saw indiscriminate killings of students of Dacca University and other
civilians.[116] Numerous women were tortured, raped and killed during
the war; the exact numbers are not known and are a subject of debate.
The widespread rape of Bangladeshi women led to birth of thousands
of war babies.[117][118][119]The Pakistan Army also kept numerous
Bengali women as sex-slaves inside the Dacca Cantonment. Most of the
girls were captured from Dacca University and private homes.[120]There Rayerbazar killing field
was significant sectarian violence not only perpetrated and encouraged
photographed immediately after the
by the Pakistani army,[121] but also by Bengali nationalists against non-
war, showing dead bodies of
Bengali minorities, especially Biharis.[122]In June 1971, Bihari
intellectuals (image courtesy: Rashid
representatives stated that 500,000 Biharis were killed by
Talukder, 1971)
Bengalis.[123] R.J. Rummel gives a prudent estimate of 150,000
killed.[124]
On 16 December 2002, the George Washington University's National Security Archivepublished a collection of
declassified documents, consisting mostly of communications between US embassy officials and United States
Information Service centres in Dacca and India, and officials in Washington, D.C.[116] These documents show
that US officials working in diplomatic institutions within Bangladesh used the terms "selective genocide"[125] and
"genocide" (see The Blood Telegram) for information on events they had knowledge of at the time. Genocide is
the term that is still used to describe the event in almost every major publication and newspaper in
Bangladesh,[126][127]although in Pakistan, the accusations against Pakistani forces continue to be disputed.
Foreign reaction
Following Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration of independence in March 1971, a worldwide campaign was
undertaken by the Provisional Government of Bangladesh to drum up political support for the independence of
East Pakistan as well as humanitarian support for the Bengali people.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi provided extensive diplomatic and political support to the Bangladesh
movement. She toured many countries in a bid to create awareness of the Pakistani atrocities against Bengalis.
This effort was to prove vital later during the war, in framing the world's context of the war and to justify military
action by India.[130] Also, following Pakistan's defeat, it ensured prompt recognition of the newly independent
state of Bangladesh.
United Nations
Though the United Nations condemned the human rights violations during and following Operation Searchlight, it
failed to defuse the situation politically before the start of the war.
Following India's entry into the war, Pakistan, fearing certain defeat, made urgent appeals to the United Nations
to intervene and force India to agree to a ceasefire. The UN Security Councilassembled on 4 December 1971 to
discuss the hostilities in South Asia. After lengthy discussions on 7

December, the United States made a resolution for "immediate cease-
fire and withdrawal of troops". While supported by the majority, the
USSR vetoed the resolution twice. In light of the Pakistani atrocities
against Bengalis, the United Kingdom and France abstained on the
resolution.[94][131]
On 12 December, with Pakistan facing imminent defeat, the United
States requested that the Security Council be reconvened. Pakistan's
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was
rushed to New York City to make the case for a resolution on the cease
fire. The council continued deliberations for four days. By the time
proposals were finalised, Pakistan's forces in the East had surrendered
and the war had ended, making the measures merely academic. Bhutto,
frustrated by the failure of the resolution and the inaction of the United
Nations, ripped up his speech and left the council.[131]
Most UN member nations were quick to recognise Bangladesh within
months of its independence.[130]
Bhutan
As the Bangladesh Liberation War approached the defeat of the French minister Andre
Pakistan Army, the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan became the first state Malrauxvowed to fight alongside the
in the world to recognise the newly independent country on 6 December Mukti Bahini in the Liberation
1971.[132]Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of War.[128][129]
Bangladesh visited Bhutan to attend the coronation of Jigme Singye
Wangchuck, the fourth King of Bhutan in June 1974.
US and USSR
The US government stood by its old ally
Pakistan[133] both politically and
materially. US President Richard
Nixon and his National Security
Advisor Henry Kissinger feared Soviet
expansion into South and Southeast
Asia. Pakistan was a close ally of the
People's Republic of China, with whom
Nixon had been negotiating
a rapprochement and which he intended
to visit in February 1972. Nixon feared The Nixon administration was
that an Indian invasion of West widely criticised for its close ties with
Pakistan would mean total Soviet the military junta led by General Yahya
domination of the region, and that it Khan. American diplomats in East
would seriously undermine the global Pakistan expressed profound dissent in
Senator Ted Kennedy led position of the United States and the the Blood Telegram.
US congressional support for regional position of America's new tacit
Bangladeshi independence ally, China. To demonstrate to China
the bona fides of the United States as an ally, and in direct violation of the US
Congress-imposed sanctions on Pakistan, Nixon sent military supplies to
Pakistan and routed them through Jordan and Iran,[134] while also encouraging China to increase its arms
supplies to Pakistan. The Nixon administration also ignored reports it received of the genocidal activities of the
Pakistani Army in East Pakistan, most notably the Blood telegram.[135]
Nixon denied getting involved in the situation, saying that it was an internal matter of Pakistan, but when
Pakistan's defeat seemed certain, Nixon sent the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to the Bay of Bengal,[136] a
move deemed by the Indians as a nuclear threat. Enterprisearrived on station on 11 December 1971. On 6 and
13 December, the Soviet Navy dispatched two groups of ships, armed with nuclear missiles, from Vladivostok;
they trailed US Task Force 74 in the Indian Ocean from 18 December until 7 January 1972.[137][138][139]
The Soviet Union supported Bangladesh and Indian armies, as well as the Mukti Bahiniduring the war,
recognising that the independence of Bangladesh would weaken the position of its rivals – the United States and
China. It gave assurances to India that if a confrontation with the United States or China developed, the USSR
would take countermeasures. This was enshrined in the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty signed in August 1971. The
Soviets also sent a nuclear submarine to ward off the threat posed by USS Enterprise in the Indian
Ocean.[140][141]
At the end of the war, the Warsaw Pactcountries were among the first to recognise Bangladesh. The Soviet
Union accorded recognition to Bangladesh on 25 January 1972.[142] The United States delayed recognition for
some months, before according it on 8 April 1972.[143]
China
As a long-standing ally of Pakistan, the People's Republic of China reacted with alarm to the evolving situation in
East Pakistan and the prospect of India invading West Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. Believing that
just such an Indian attack was imminent, Nixon encouraged China to mobilise its armed forces along its border
with India to discourage it. The Chinese did not, however, respond to this encouragement, because unlike
the 1962 Sino-Indian Warwhen India was caught entirely unaware, this time the Indian Army was prepared and
had deployed eight mountain divisions to the Sino-Indian border to guard against such an eventuality.[94] China
instead threw its weight behind demands for an immediate ceasefire.
When Bangladesh applied for membership to the United Nations in 1972, China vetoed their
application[144]because two United Nations resolutions regarding the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners of war
and civilians had not yet been implemented.[145]China was also among the last countries to recognise
independent Bangladesh, refusing to do so until 31 August 1975.[130][144]
In popular culture
Main article: Artistic depictions of the Bangladesh Liberation War
See also
Bangladesh Liberation War portal
Bangladesh portal
War portal
Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War

Mukti Bahini
Awards and decorations of the Bangladesh Liberation War
Movement demanding trial of war criminals (Bangladesh)
Liberation War Museum
The Concert for Bangladesh
Footnotes
Notes
a. ^ This war is known in Bangla as Muktijuddho or Shwadhinota Juddho.[11] This war is also called the Civil War in
Pakistan[12]
Citations
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Herbert L.; Tohidi, Nayereh Esfahlani. Women in Muslim Societies: Diversity Within Unity. Lynne Rienner. pp. 208–
209. ISBN 978-1-55587-578-7. "Sometime during the war, a fatwa originating in West Pakistan labeled Bengali
freedom fighters 'Hindus' and declared that 'the wealth and women' to be secured by warfare with them could be
treated as the booty of war. [Footnote, on p. 225:] S. A. Hossain, "Fatwa in Islam: Bangladesh Perspective," Daily
Star (Dhaka), 28 December 1994, 7."
112. ^ Many of the eyewitness accounts of relations that were picked up by "Al Badr" forces describe them as Bengali men.
The only survivor of the Rayerbazar killings describes the captors and killers of Bengali professionals as fellow
Bengalis. See 57 Dilawar Hossain, account reproduced in Ekattorer Ghatok-dalalera ke Kothay(Muktijuddha Chetona
Bikash Kendro, Dacca, 1989)
113. ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition (Vol. 5 Num 551)" . archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
114. ^ Times, Special To The New York (19 December 1971). "125 Slain in Dacca Area Believed Elite of Bengal" . The
New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 11 June 2017. "At least 125 persons, believed to be physicians,
professors, writers and teachers, were found murdered today in a field outside Dacca. All the victims’ hands were tied
behind their backs and they had been bayoneted, garroted or shot. They were among an estimated 300 Bengali
intellectuals who had been seized by West Pakistani soldiers and locally recruited supporters."
115. ^ "tribuneindia... World" . www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
116. ^ a b Evans, Michael. "The Tilt: The U.S. and the South Asian Crisis of 1971" . nsarchive.gwu.edu.
Retrieved 11 June2017.
117. ^ "Bengali Wives Raped in War Are Said to Face Ostracism" (PDF). The New York Times. 8 January 1972.
Retrieved 10 November2011.
118. ^ Menen, Aubrey(23 July 1972). "The Rapes of Bangladesh" (PDF). The New York Times.
119. ^ Astrachan, Anthony (22 March 1972). "U.N. Asked to Aid Bengali Abortions" (PDF). The Washington Post.
120. ^ "East Pakistan: Even the Skies Weep" . Time. 25 October 1971. p. 43. (Subscription required (help)). "Refugees are
still trekking into India ... telling of villages burned, residents shot, and prominent figures carried off and never heard
from again. One of the more horrible revelations concerns 563 young Bengali women, some only 18, who have been
held captive inside Dacca's dingy military cantonment since the first days of the fighting. Seized from Dacca University
and private homes and forced into military brothels, the girls are all three to five months pregnant. The army is
reported to have enlisted Bengali gynecologists to abort girls held at military installations. But for those at the Dacca
cantonment it is too late for abortion."
121. ^ U.S. Consulate (Dacca) Cable, Sitrep: Army Terror Campaign Continues in Dacca; Evidence Military Faces Some
Difficulties Elsewhere , 31 March 1971, Confidential, 3 pp
122. ^ Sen, Sumit (1999). "Stateless Refugees and the Right to Return: the Bihari Refugees of South Asia, Part 1"
(PDF). International Journal of Refugee Law. 11 (4): 625–645. doi:10.1093/ijrl/11.4.625 . Retrieved 20 October 2006.
123. ^ Gerlach, Christian (2010). Extremely Violent Societies: Mass Violence in the Twentieth-Century World . Cambridge
University Press. p. 148. ISBN 9781139493512.
124. ^ Rummel, R.J. (1997). Death by Government . Transaction Publishers. p. 334. ISBN 9781560009276.
125. ^ U.S. Consulate in Dacca (27 March 1971), Selective genocide , Cable (PDF)
126. ^ "The Jamaat Talks Back" . The Bangladesh Observer(Editorial). 30 December 2005. Archived from the
original on 23 January 2007.
127. ^ "::: Star Weekend Magazine :::" . archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
128. ^ "Bernard-Henri Levy: Andre Malraux's Bangladesh, Before the Radicals" . The Daily Beast.
129. ^ "The Independent - Online Edition" . The Independent Online and Print Version.
130. ^ abc "The Recognition Story" . Bangladesh Strategic and Development Forum. Archived from the original on 25
July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
131. ^ a b Bhutto, Zulfiqar Ali. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's farewell speech to the United Nations Security Council .
132. ^ "Bhutan recognised Bangladesh first - Dhaka Tribune" . dhakatribune.com.
133. ^ Harris, Ralph (17 December 1971). "Nixon and Pakistan: An Unpopular Alliance" . The Miami News. Miami,
Florida, US. Reuters – via The Daily Star.
134. ^ Shalom, Stephen R., The Men Behind Yahya in the Indo-Pak War of 1971
135. ^ "The triumvirate of the Diplomat, the Journalist and the Artist" . The Daily Star. 17 December 2016.
Retrieved 11 January 2017.
136. ^ Scott, Paul (21 December 1971). "Naval 'Show of Force' By Nixon Meant as Blunt Warning to India" . Bangor Daily
News. Google News.
137. ^ Anna Orton (2010). India's Borderland Disputes: China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal . Epitome Books.
p. 116. ISBN 978-93-80297-15-6.
138. ^ Matthew White (20 October 2011). Atrocitology: Humanity's 100 Deadliest Achievements . Canongate Books.
p. 45. ISBN 978-0-85786-125-2.
139. ^ Dexter Filkins (27 September 2013). "Collateral Damage:'The Blood Telegram,' by Gary J. Bass" . The New York
Times. Retrieved 16 December2015.
140. ^ "That same fleet but new face" . The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
141. ^ "December 1971: When The US Sent Its Naval Ships Into Bay Of Bengal, And USSR Responded" .
Retrieved 11 January 2017.
142. ^ "USSR, Czechoslovakia Recognize Bangladesh" . Sumter, South Carolina, US: The Sumter Daily Item, via Google
News. Associated Press. 25 January 1972.
143. ^ "Nixon Hopes for Subcontinent Peace" . Spartanburg, South Carolina, US: Herald-Journal, via Google News.
Associated Press. 9 April 1972.
144. ^ a b "China Recognizes Bangladesh" . Oxnard, California, US: The Press Courier, via Google News. Associated
Press. 1 September 1975.
145. ^ "China Veto Downs Bangladesh UN Entry" . Montreal, Quebec, Canada: The Montreal Gazette, via Google News.
United Press International. 26 August 1972.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country
Studieswebsite http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ .
Further reading
See also: List of books on Liberation War of Bangladesh
Ayoob, Mohammed and Subrahmanyam, K., The Liberation War, S. Chand and Co. pvt Ltd. New Delhi, 1972.
Ayub, Muhammad (2005). An Army, its Role and Rule: A History of the Pakistan Army from Independence to Kargil 1947–
1999. Pittsburgh: RoseDog Books. ISBN 0-8059-9594-3.
Bass, Gary J. The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide.Vintage, 2014. ISBN 0307744620
Bhargava, G.S., Crush India or Pakistan's Death Wish, ISSD, New Delhi, 1972.
Bhattacharyya, S. K., Genocide in East Pakistan/Bangladesh: A Horror Story, A. Ghosh Publishers, 1988.
Blood, A. K. (2005). The cruel birth of Bangladesh: Memoirs of an American diplomat. Dhaka: University Press.
Brownmiller, Susan: Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape, Ballantine Books, 1993.
Choudhury, G. W.(April 1972). "Bangladesh: Why It Happened". International Affairs. Royal Institute of International
Affairs. 48 (2): 242–249. doi:10.2307/2613440 . ISSN 0020-5850 . JSTOR 2613440 .
Choudhury, G. W.(1994) [First published 1974]. The Last Days of United Pakistan. Dhaka: University Press. ISBN 978-
984-05-1242-3.
Govt. of Bangladesh, Documents of the war of Independence, Vol 01-16, Ministry of Information.
Hitchens, Christopher, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, Verso (2001). ISBN 1-85984-631-9
Kanjilal, Kalidas, The Perishing Humanity, Sahitya Loke, Calcutta, 1976
Johnson, Rob, 'A Region in Turmoil' (New York and London, 2005)
Malik, Amita, The Year of the Vulture, Orient Longmans, New Delhi, 1972.
Matinuddin, General Kamal, Tragedy of Errors: East Pakistan Crisis, 1968–1971, Wajidalis, Lahore, Pakistan, 1994.
Mookherjee, Nayanika, A Lot of History: Sexual Violence, Public Memories and the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971,
D. Phil thesis in Social Anthropology, SOAS, University of London, 2002.
National Security Archive, The Tilt: the U.S. and the South Asian Crisis of 1971
Quereshi, Major General Hakeem Arshad, The 1971 Indo-Pak War, A Soldiers Narrative, Oxford University Press, 2002.
Raghavan, Srinath, 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh, Harvard Univ. Press, 2013.
Rummel, R.J., Death By Government, Transaction Publishers, 1997.
Salik, Siddiq, Witness to Surrender, Oxford University Press, Karachi, Pakistan, 1977.
Sisson, Richard & Rose, Leo, War and secession: Pakistan, India, and the creation of Bangladesh, University of California
Press (Berkeley), 1990.
Stephen, Pierre, and Payne, Robert, Massacre, Macmillan, New York, (1973). ISBN 0-02-595240-4
Totten, Samuel et al., eds., Century of Genocide: Eyewitness Accounts and Critical Views, Garland Reference Library,
1997
US Department of State Office of the Historian, Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XI, South Asia
Crisis, 1971
Zaheer, Hasan: The separation of East Pakistan: The rise and realisation of Bengali Muslim nationalism, Oxford University
Press, 1994.
Raja, Dewan Mohammad Tasawwar (2010). O GENERAL MY GENERAL (Life and Works of General M. A. G. Osmani).
The Osmani Memorial Trust, Dacca, Bangladesh. ISBN 978-984-8866-18-4.
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Selva Kumar, Auto Technician
Answered Feb 11, 2016 Report Can India, Pakistan and Bangladesh unite? What
are the factors which will play role in or prevent
India contributed a lot. When General Tikka Khan ordered the Genocide a huge this Reunion? Do you think, any other foreig...
number of refugees started coming to India. 8 brigades of Pakistani troops
What were India's motives for helping Bangladesh
landed in East Pakistan to rape and kill East Bengali People. Indira Gandhi during the 1971 war?
travelled to US to gain support. US president Richard Nixon called Indians as
Why did Bangladesh declare independence from
aggressors and ordered to support Pakistan from US army stationed in Vietnam. Pakistan in 1971?
Indira Gandhi then made 'Indo-Soviet friendship treaty'. Soviet leader Leonid
How does an average Pakistani feel about the
Berzhnev assured that if US or China attacked India then Soviet Union would 1971 genocide in Bangladesh, prior to the Indo-
Pak war and the independence of Bangladesh?
take severe counter measures. Meanwhile a regiment in East Pakistan defected
and joined the rebels. The rebels were trained and armed by R&AW of India and Why isn't Pakistan apologizing to Bangladesh?
sent back to East Pakistan. This angered Pakistan and Pakistan raided Indian air How did India help Bangladesh attain
fields. It did only a little damage to the run ways as they were repaired quickly independence?
and the Fighter planes were protected inside the Concrete Bunkers. Next What consequences did the Bangladesh War of
morning India started to retaliate PAF. India deployed 8 brigades to Chinese Liberation in 1971 have on India?
border to prevent Chinese aggression. Indian navy carried out Operation  Ask New Question
Trident and Operation Python which blockaded West Pakistan and sank 2
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destroyers, 1 minesweeper , 7 Gunboats, 1 long range Submarine and 3 Patrol
vessels. US sent their 7th Carrier battle group to Counter Indian navy. Soviet sent Question Stats
a group of Destroyers and a Nuclear Submarine and they Chased US and UK out
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of Indian ocean. Now Pakistan got no where to escape and 97,000 troops simply
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Surrenderd and India announced Dhaka as a free capital
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Elizabeth Churchill
https://www.quora.com/What-was-Indias-role-in-the-independence-of-Bangladesh-in-1971 1/5
Updated May 24
1. India was the one and only force that helped Bangladesh get
Independence
2. Had it not been for the Indian Army, Bangladesh would never have
got independence
3. India fought fierce battles in

Hilli,Jamalpur,Kamalpur,Mymensingh,Syhlet and ultimately
made Dhaka fall to give Bangladesh it's Independence on a platter
4. Thousands of Indian men and officers lost their life for the
Liberation of Bangladesh
It was the Indian Army that made Gen Niazi and 90000 Pakistanis
surrender in front of the great Indian General Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora
PVSM
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Rabbi Mahmud
Answered Oct 24, 2016
Originally Answered: What was the role of India in the formation of Bangladesh?
Historically Bangladeshis were Indians before 1947. When British left India they
separated Muslim majority areas of India from rest of India by creating East
Pakistan (Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (Pakistan). Only Muslim majority
Kashmir remained in India. West Pakistan was 7 times bigger than East Pakistan
but population wise East Pakistan had larger population. W. Pakistan was
linguistically, culturally extremely different from E. Pakistan. E. Pakistanis were
racially much darker and comparatively shorter and poorly built than W.
Pakistanis. It created a sense to superiority among W.Pakistanis. Their Punjabi
establishment refused to give power to E. Pakistani Bengalis when Bengali
leader Sheikh Mujib won the election with a landslide victory. Bengalis then
dreamt of Bangladesh. When W. Pakistani army started a genocide on Bengalis
as many as 10 million people fled to neighboring India to save their lives. India
took care of these refugees and trained and armed Bengali guerrilla
Muktijoddhas on request of Awami League. Bangladeshis fought against
Pakistan with support from India. When Pakistan attacked Western India India
then officially joined with Bangladeshis to fight together against Pakistan.
Together Indian army and Bangladeshi Muktijoddhas defeated Pakistan and
Bangladesh was liberated.
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Pankaj Lad, studied at University of Mumbai

Answered Apr 29, 2014
India is the biggest & only contributor. When Bangladeshi people were mass
murdered by Pakistan, India intervened & sent army to fight with pakistani
soldiers & assured freedom. We took a big risk of becoming a center of another
cold war era conflict when American navy came to help pakistan & Russia
assured full support to India by sending their navy.
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Kishor Shah, Common Man

Answered Aug 2, 2015
Originally Answered: What was the role of India in the formation of Bangladesh?
Political Domination of Western Pakistanis prevented Mujibur Rehman to

occupy the seat of United Pakistan. This created an unrest in East Pakistan.
Pakistan Military used very strong hand to subside the well spread protests, in
eastern Pakistan. This gave a rise to secessionist urge in eastern Pakistan. India,
seems to have nursed the secessionist urge of people of east Pakistan.
1.7k Views
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Akshiv Pathania, Banker - Corp Finance. MBA (Finance).

Answered Apr 29, 2014
Kicking Pakistan's ass

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14/07/2018 Bangladesh salutes Indira Gandhi - The Hindu
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Bangladesh salutes Indira Gandhi
Haroon Habib
JULY 24, 2011 23:15 IST
UPDATED: AUGUST 16, 2016 21:00 IST
Besides providing support and refuge to the people of East Pakistan, Indira Gandhi
travelled across the world to mobilise support for the Bangladesh Liberation War.
The political and personal role of the former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in the
Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 is inseparable from the country's history. Despite the
many ups and downs in Bangladesh politics, Indira Gandhi, who extended unequivocal
support to the people of former East Pakistan, has been cherished by its people. But her role
was never officially recognised.
With the country celebrating its 40th independence anniversary this year, the Sheikh
Hasina government decided to confer the Bangladesh Swadhinata Sammanona on Indira
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/bangladesh-salutes-indira-gandhi/article2290625.ece 1/4
Gandhi posthumously for her “outstanding contribution” to the country's independence

from Pakistan. She will, in fact, be the
latest news first foreigner
alerts from Theto be given the highest state honour.
Hindu
The decision came at a crucial Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The honour will be ceremonially handed over to the Indian National Congress president,
Sonia Gandhi, also the daughter-in-law of IndiraNOT
Gandhi,
NOW by
YES,President Zillur Rahman at
KEEP ME UPDATED
Bangabhaban on July 25. Ms Gandhi is scheduled to be in Dhaka to attend a conference on
autism.
Under Indira Gandhi's able leadership, India provided shelter, food and medicines to about
10 million people who fled their homes to the neighbouring West Bengal, Tripura,
Meghalaya and Assam, to escape the marauding Pakistani army and its hoodlums. Despite
an adverse international atmosphere — the United States supported Pakistan — India
extended full support to the Bangladeshi freedom fighters — providing them arms and
training facilities. And, finally, it sent its troops to fight against the Pakistani forces under a
Joint Command with Bangladesh — at the fag end of a nine month-long war that put
Bangladesh on the world map.
The 1971 war was the culmination of a long-drawn struggle by the people of East Pakistan
who were secular despite being religious. The anti-Pakistan sentiment surfaced soon after
Partition in 1947.
The Bengali nationalistic resurgence in East Pakistan, formerly East Bengal, began a year
after the new country was established with two wings separated by over 1000 miles of
foreign territory. Pakistan's founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, declared in Dhaka that
‘Urdu and only Urdu' should be the state language. He was perhaps unaware of the reaction
of the country's eastern wing, where a language-based nationality was brewing even as the
colonial masters and politicians were striking a deal to divide the sub-continent along
communal lines. The situation took a decisive turn when police opened fire at students on
February 21, 1952, killing six Dhaka University protesters. About half-a-century later,
Ekushe February — February 21 — was proclaimed the International Mother Language Day
by the United Nations.
With the Bengali resentment over economic, cultural and political issues growing, Pakistan
remained united by a thin bonding of statehood with religion and military dominating the
statecraft for 24 years.
In 1970, in the first-ever general election held in Pakistan, people overwhelmingly voted
for the Awami League and its leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who has become the symbol
of freedom for the Bengalis. The military and a section of the ‘West Pakistani' political
leaders under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto were alarmed by Mujib's stunning poll victory and, in
collaboration with the army bosses, decided to crush the Bengali resurgence.
It was again a judgment of error. As the regular Pakistani army launched a brutal
crackdown in Dhaka, particularlylateston students,
news the Bengali
alerts from The Hindupolice and paramilitary forces
on March 25, 1971, without handing over power to Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the
majority party, an unprecedentedto keep outburst of popular resistance shook Pakistan's integrity.
getting the alerts.
It finally led to a full-scale war, in which India's support was crucial.

NOT NOW YES, KEEP ME UPDATED
On March 26, 1971, before being arrested by the Pakistan military, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
declared independence of East Pakistan and asked his people to continue the fight ‘till the
last Pakistani army' was driven away from Bangladesh.
President Yahya Khan and his military commanders committed atrocities on unarmed
civilians, killing them in thousands. Bengali women were raped indiscriminately and their
houses set on fire to crush the rebellion, which was termed an “Indian-inspired”
conspiracy. The unprecedented atrocities led to a mass exodus to India, where an estimated
10 million people took refuge for nine months.
India, under Indira Gandhi, opened its eastern borders allowing streams of refugees to take
shelter. When the elected representatives of people formed a government in exile, with
imprisoned Mujib becoming the President and Tajuddin Ahmed Prime Minister, India
helped settle the provisional government and finally got involved in the war — first
indirectly but later directly, when Pakistan opened another front in India's western region.
Supported by the then Socialist bloc, led by the Soviet Union, Indira Gandhi, despite being
the lone voice against the mighty U.S., travelled across the world to mobilise support for
the beleaguered people of Bangladesh.
Pakistani troops, aided by their local Islamist collaborators, killed an estimated three
million people, raped over 300,000 women, destroyed innumerable homes, and forced
millions more to leave their homesteads during the bloody nine-month war, in which the
Bengali freedom fighters displayed unparalleled bravery in the war against Pakistan's
regular army.
The Sheikh Hasina government has also decided to confer two other state honours —
Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sammanona and Muktijuddho Moitree Sammanona — to 47 people
and five organisations for their commendable contribution to the country's independence.
The former Indian Foreign Minister, Sardar Swaran Singh, who played a significant role,
will be accorded special honour as well, said a government leader. Officials familiar with
the award process said the list had names of distinguished foreigners, including former
heads of states and governments and organisations. They would be honoured on December
16, 2011, coinciding with the 40th Victory Day.
The history of Bangladesh's Independence has seen calculative distortions by those who
have been mostly in power in the last 40 years. Therefore, India's role in the war was
deliberately distorted and Indira Gandhi made the main villain. It is praiseworthy that
Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's slain founding father, took up the challenge of
setting the history straight. latest news alerts from The Hindu
While the Bengali freedom fighters played

Our existing a major
notification role in
subscribers the
need war, the
to choose this contribution
option of
Indian people, government and armed forces is equally an unforgettable fact of history.
While the Hasina government has decided to honour the “friends
NOT NOW of UPDATED
YES, KEEP ME 1971,” including Indira
Gandhi, it is expected that Bangladesh will build a memorial soon in honour of the Indian
soldiers who lost their lives fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Bangladesh freedom
fighters.
This, as I see it, is not a mere recognition but a step to let posterity remember those great
foreign friends who helped us when we were in distress.
(The writer, a Bangladesh liberation war veteran, is a senior journalist and writer. He can be
reached at: >hh1971@gmail.com)
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14/07/2018 Bangladesh Liberation War - Wikipedia

4 Surrender and aftermath

Spending on West Spending on East Amount spent on

Religious and cultural differences

Response to the 1970 cyclone

According to the Asia Times,[62]

Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country. On

This is Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at

Increasing Pakistani casualties through raids and ambush.

authorities concluded that they had successfully contained the Monsoon

All unprejudiced persons objectively surveying

Indian Prime Minister Indira

Illustration showing military units and troop

General Manekshaw (Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee) to "Go into

Air and naval war

Surrender and aftermath

Reaction in West Pakistan to the war

discuss the hostilities in South Asia. After lengthy discussions on 7

Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War

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While the Bengali freedom fighters played

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