On March 26, 1971, the Bangladesh Liberation War begins as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declares the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. The declaration came after a series of abuses against the people of Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) at the hands of the Pakistani government and military junta, including refusals to recognize elected government officials from Bangladesh. The final straw came in the beginning of Operation Searchlight, wherein Pakistani forces were deployed to suppress opposition to the Pakistani government, arresting prominent figures and committing massacres against the people of Bangladesh. Over the course of the next several months, Bangladesh guerilla forces, known as the Mukti Bahini, would engage in combat against the Pakistani Army. Aiding the Mukti Bahini was the Indian military, providing training and aid to the guerillas. High casualties would be suffered by both sides as guerilla attacks were answered by Pakistani reprisals. As Indian support for the Bangladesh resistance and their independence grew and aid continued, tensions continued to worsen between India and Pakistan resulting in a pre-emptive strike by the Pakistani Air Force against the Indian Air Force was launched on December 3, 1971. With this strike, both nations acknowledged that they were in a state of war, at which point Indian rolled several corps into Bangladesh and, with the support of the Mukti Bahini, rapidly conquered the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh. On December 16, 1971, the war ended with the surrender of Pakistani forces.
Bangladesh forces suffered approximately 30,000 killed with Indian casualties estimated at approximately 1500 killed and 4,000 wounded. Pakistani casualties are estimated at approximately 8,000 killed, 10,000 wounded, and 93,000 captured. The greatest lost of life, however, came from the civilian population with estimates ranging from 300,000 to 3 million killed, primarily due to a deliberate genocide of the Bengali people at the hands of the Pakistani forces and allied militia groups. A further 200,000 to 400,000 or more women were also raped by those same forces as part of this genocide. Millions of civilians were displaced by the conflict, with over 10 million seeking refuge in India alone.
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27 Mar 2021 04:19 CET
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