The nation will recall the 'Kalo Ratri' (Black Night) of March 25' tonight (Tuesday) in commemoration of the cowardly attack and unleashing genocide on the unarmed sleeping Bangalees by the barbarous Pakistani occupation forces in 1971, reports BSS.
On the fateful night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta in the guise of a mock dialogue had resorted to genocide in Dhaka city, the provincial capital of the then East Pakistan, to implement their blueprint to negate the Awami League's election mandate of 1970.
In their dreadful operation dubbed as 'Operation Searchlight', the Pakistani occupation forces mercilessly killed the Bangalee members of EPR (East Pakistan Rifles) and police and students and teachers as well as thousands of common people in Dhaka city.
In the wake of military crackdown, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who became the undisputed leader of the then Pakistan following his party AL's massive victory in the 1970 general elections, declared independence of Bangladesh through EPR wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 (the night following March 25) in 1971 from his residence at Dhanmondi.
The great leader also called upon the people to build a united resistance against the Pakistani occupation forces. Later, the Pakistani military junta, in a bid to stop the legitimate movement of the Bangalees, arrested Bangabandhu on that night following his declaration of the country's independence.
Later, Bangabandhu was taken to the then West Pakistan where he had to spend long nine months in a dark condemned cell of a Pakistani jail.
The night of massacre on March 25, was a complete military operation by Pakistan occupation forces. This was one of the very few military operations in post-World War-II history, which ultimately had been planned against civilians, just to kill a smart percentage of them and to scare the survivors.
The March 25 atrocities carried out by Pakistani military junta triggered the struggle for independence.
Following the declaration of independence by Bangabandhu, the whole nation, except a few pro-Pakistani elements, joined the war of liberation that lasted for long nine months. And ultimately Bangladesh was freed from the Pakistani occupation forces with their surrender at the Race Course maidan, later renamed as Suhrawardy Udyan on December 16 in 1971.
