Bangladesh Liberation war 1971

: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, pronounced 

. It resulted in the independence of Bangladesh. The war began when the 

 against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March 1971. It pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians, students, 

, religious minorities and armed personnel. The junta annulled the results of the 

. The war ended on 16 December 1971 when the military forces of West Pakistan that were in Bangladesh surrendered.

Rural and urban areas across East Pakistan saw extensive military operations and air strikes to suppress the tide of 

 that formed following the 1970 election stalemate. The 

, which had the backing of Islamists, created radical religious militias — the 

 — to assist it during raids on the local populace.

 (an ethnic minority) were also in support of Pakistani military.[

] Members of the Pakistani military and supporting militias engaged in mass murder, deportation and 

 was the scene of numerous massacres, including Operation Searchlight and the 

 fled to neighbouring India, while 30 million were internally displaced.

. An academic consensus prevails that the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military were a 

—the national liberation army formed by Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians. The 

 played a crucial role in the resistance. Led by General 

 against the Pakistani military. They liberated numerous towns and cities in the initial months of the conflict. The Pakistan Army regained momentum in the 

. Bengali guerrillas carried out widespread sabotage, including 

 against the Pakistan Navy. The nascent 

 against 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.

. Bengali members of the Pakistani civil, military and 

 defected to the Bangladeshi provisional government. Thousands of Bengali families were 

 in West Pakistan, from where many escaped to 

. Bengali cultural activists operated the clandestine 

. The plight of millions of war-ravaged Bengali civilians caused worldwide outrage and alarm. 

, provided substantial diplomatic, economic and military support to Bangladeshi nationalists. British, Indian and American musicians organised the 

 to support the Bangladeshi people. Senator 

 campaign for an end to Pakistani military persecution; while U.S. diplomats in East Pakistan strongly 

's close ties to the Pakistani military dictator 

India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched 

 witnessed engagements on two war fronts. With 

 achieved in the eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the 

 of Mukti Bahini and Indian military, Pakistan 

The war changed the geopolitical landscape of 

, 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 

 recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation in 1972.

-majority states in the eastern and northwestern zones of British India. A proposal for an independent 

 in 1946, but was opposed by the colonial authorities. The 

 in eastern British India. Eventually, political negotiations led, in August 1947, to the official birth of two states, 

 giving presumably permanent homes for Muslims and Hindus respectively following the departure of the British. The 

 comprised two geographically and culturally separate areas to the east and the west with India in between.

 The western zone was popularly (and for a period, also officially) termed West Pakistan and the eastern zone (modern-day Bangladesh) was initially termed 

 and later, East Pakistan. Although the population of the two zones was close to equal, political power was concentrated in West Pakistan and it was widely perceived that East Pakistan was being exploited economically, leading to many grievances. Administration of two discontinuous territories was also seen as a challenge. On 25 March 1971, after an election won by an East Pakistani political party (the 

) was ignored by the ruling (West Pakistani) establishment, rising political discontent and 

 in East Pakistan was met by brutal  and suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment, in what came to be termed as 

.  The violent crackdown by the Pakistan Army led to Awami League leader 

 declaring East Pakistan's independence as the state of 

 on 26 March 1971. Most Bengalis supported this move although 

 and Biharis opposed this and sided with the Pakistan Army instead.

 ordered the Pakistani military to restore the Pakistani government's authority, beginning the civil war. The war led to a substantial number of refugees (estimated at the time to be about 10 million) flooding into the 

 Facing a mounting humanitarian and economic crisis, India started actively aiding and organising the Bangladeshi resistance army known as the 

, and only Urdu" would be the federal language of Pakistan. However, Urdu was historically prevalent only in the north, central, and western region of the 

; whereas in East Bengal, the native language was 

, one of the two most easterly branches of the 

. The Bengali-speaking people of Pakistan constituted over 56% 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 

 began in 1948, as civil society protested the removal of the 

 from currency and stamps, which were in place since the 

. 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 

. Later, in memory of the deaths in 1952, 

Share - Bangladesh Liberation war 1971