Nation to observe Genocide Day today

The nation will observe Genocide Day in solemn remembrance of the brutal crackdown by the Pakistani occupation forces on unarmed Bengalis on the fateful night of March 25, 1971, carried out under the codename ‘Operation Searchlight’.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman have issued special messages on the eve of the day, reports BSS.

The government has planned various programmes at the state level to mark the day with due respect.

A one-minute symbolic 'blackout' will be observed nationwide today (Wednesday) from 10:30 pm to 10:31 pm, a PID handout said on Tuesday.

Key installations (KPIs) and emergency establishments will be exempt from the programme.

Discussion and memorial programmes will be held at educational institutions - including schools, colleges, madrasahs, and technical institutes - with participation from eminent personalities and valiant freedom fighters, highlighting the genocide and the Great Liberation War.

Documentary screenings and rare photographic exhibitions on the genocide will be arranged at selected locations in all city corporation areas, including Dhaka, starting from 12:00 noon.

Special prayers will be offered at mosques after Zuhr prayers or at convenient times, while prayers will also be held at other places of worship across the country in memory of the massacre victims. Illumination will be avoided on the night.

A seminar will also be held at 10:00 am under the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Liberation War Museum.

The information was disclosed at an inter-ministerial meeting on implementation of national programmes marking Genocide Day 2026 and Independence and National Day 2026, the handout added.