Nation recalls today horrors of March 25

The nation recalls today the horrors of one of the worst genocides  in modern history committed by the Pakistan occupation army against unarmed people of the then East Pakistan on the night of March 25, 1971.
On this black night in 1971, the Pakistani military rulers launched ‘Operation Searchlight’, killing countless freedom loving Bangalis in the  crackdown on that night alone.
Under the operation, tanks rolled out of the Dhaka cantonment and a city asleep woke up to the rattles of heavy weapons.
Pakistan army troops attacked  Dhaka University dormitories, the then East Pakistan Rifles headquarters at Peelkhana and Rajarbagh Police Lines and the Old Town of Dhaka.
The Bangali EPR jawans and the police put up a brave fight with outdated 303 rifles against heavily armed Pakistan army troops.
Common folks as students put up barricades of streets to thwart and resist the occupation army troops.
On the midnight heavily armed  occupation army troops also raided the residential quarters of  Dhaka University teachers and the dorms and butchered many teachers and students.
Iqbal Hall, later renamed Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall, Jagannath Hall, Rokeya Hall,  were targeted, in particular, as they housed student leaders and activists.
The Old Town in Dhaka, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Indira Road, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhaka Airport, Ganaktuli, Dhanmondi, Kalabagan, Kathalbagan were targeted.
Newspaper offices in Dhaka, notably Dainik Ittefaq, Sangbad and the People were set ablaze for espousing the cause of the Bangalis.
In simultaneous attack on the same night many people were  killed and injured in the port city of Chittagong.
The sudden crackdown on unarmed civilians on the ominous night of March 25 set off the War of Independence  that led to the emergence of independent Bangladesh.
Tajuddin Ahmed took the initiative to form the Mujibnagar government that led the War of Independence, in the absence of the undisputed leader of Bangalis Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was taken captive by the occupation army just before launching the crackdown.
In Mujib’s absence, his close associate Tajuddin decisively led the nation to clinch independence.
The day would be marked throughout the nation.
Antorjatik Juddhaporadh Gonobichar Andolon took day long programme for today at the Manik Miah Avenue on the demand of declaring March 25 as the International Genocide Day.
Sector Commanders Forum Liberation War 1971 will hold a candle light vigil at midnight  tonight at Shikha Chirantan at Suhrawardy Udyan.
Dhaka University would hold a candle light vigil at Jagannath Hall one minute before the midnight.
Homage would be paid to the valiant policemen, who gave  their lives putting up heroic resistance to the occupation army.
Candle light vigils would held in the capital and elsewhere in the country in remembrance of the countless who gave life.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net