Genocide Day being observed to remember victims of 25 March atrocities

Genocide Day is being observed across Bangladesh on Wednesday, commemorating the brutal crackdown carried out by the Pakistani army during Operation Searchlight on the night of 25 March 1971.

The day serves as a solemn reminder of one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history, when widespread killings were unleashed to suppress the aspirations of the people who would soon achieve independence.

On that night, Pakistani forces launched coordinated attacks in Dhaka, targeting members of the East Pakistan Rifles, police personnel, students, teachers and ordinary civilians. The operation was marked by indiscriminate killings, arson and looting, leaving behind widespread devastation.

During the same night, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested and taken to West Pakistan by the military regime.

Various programmes have been arranged nationwide to mark the day. Educational institutions, including schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutes, are holding discussions on the genocide and the Liberation War, with participation from freedom fighters and eminent personalities.

Exhibitions featuring rare photographs and documentaries are being displayed in city corporation areas from noon, while cultural organisations are hosting seminars, performances and thematic events. Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and private media outlets are broadcasting special programmes, and newspapers have published supplements highlighting the significance of the day.

Special prayers and doa mahfils are also being organised by religious groups, seeking peace for the souls of the martyrs.

A one-minute symbolic blackout is scheduled from 10:30pm to 10:31pm on Wednesday night to honour the victims. Additionally, a seminar is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Liberation War Museum.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman issued messages paying tribute to the martyrs and urging citizens to uphold the ideals of the Liberation War, including democracy, equality and social justice, in building a prosperous and inclusive Bangladesh.