Today is the terrible 25th of March

News Desk: Today is March 25, National Genocide Day. The day of a scandalous massacre in the history of human civilization. The conspiracy to silence the voices of the freedom-loving Bengalis through the massacre called 'Operation Searchlight' on the night of March 25, 1971, which started unleashing on the unarmed Bengalis in the dark of night, started to be implemented on this night.

The nation has been commemorating the day of genocide on the eve of Bangladesh's declaration of independence as 'National Genocide Day'. Fifty years ago today, on this day in 1971, people all over the country were eager for independence.

Earlier, after listening to the historic speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Suhrawardy Udyan (then Racecourse Maidan), people understood that independence was imminent. President Yahya Khan secretly boarded a flight to West Pakistan on the evening of March 25, after a drama of negotiations with the Bengali leadership to resolve the political stalemate.

As soon as Yahya landed safely in West Pakistan, his forces became active in East Pakistan. On that day, that night of March 25, when the innocent people of Dhaka were fast asleep, the invading forces jumped like hyenas. Their olive-colored tanks started rushing towards Dhaka University, Police-EPR Barracks.

An infamous history is written. At 11:30 pm, Pakistani troops loaded jeep-trucks from the cantonment and spread them throughout the city with tanks and modern weapons. Modern rifles, machine guns, and mortars roared in the air. Corpses were scattered in different places including Rajarbagh Police Line, Peelkhana EPR Headquarters, Dhaka University, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh University of Engineering, Nilkhet.

Midnight Dhaka was then the city of corpses. At around 1:15 pm, a group of soldiers went to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's house No. 32 in Dhanmondi. The telephone line of the house was cut off at around 1:25 pm.

Hyena's party arrested Bangabandhu and took him away to thwart the dream of Bengali independence forever. Earlier, after midnight on March 25, i.e. in the early hours of March 26, Bangabandhu declared the war of independence and armed liberation through the wireless of the then EPR. Based on this declaration of independence by Bangabandhu, the Independence Day of Bangladesh was celebrated on 26 March.

How many Bengalis had to be killed by the Pakistani forces on that terrible night of March 25 - no precise information is available. However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald of Australia, on the night of March 25 alone, about one hundred thousand people were killed in Bangladesh.

Some information is also available in the documents published by the government of Pakistan itself. The white paper they published during the war of liberation states that from the night of March 1, 1971, to the night of March 25, 1971, more than one lakh people were killed. This year there will be a limited number of programs on this day of ‘National Genocide Day’ in the event of coronavirus infection.

According to an official statement, a symbolic 'Black Out' will be observed across the country on March 25, the day of the genocide, from 9 pm to 9:01 pm. No government, semi-government, autonomous and private buildings and installations will be illuminated on this night. Besides, the Secondary and Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education has given five instructions to all the educational institutions of the country to observe the day following the hygiene rules with due dignity. A discussion meeting has been organized at the National Museum on the occasion of Genocide Day at 10:30 am on Thursday.

Lyric dramas and cultural programs on genocide and liberation war have been organized all over the country. Rare photographs and documentaries on genocide will be disseminated in all city corporations including Dhaka.

Besides, special munajat will be offered in all mosques of the country and other places of worship at convenient times on the night of March 25, seeking the forgiveness of the souls of the deceased. At the district and Upazila level and also in the embassies of Bangladesh abroad, the significance of the day will be highlighted.

Besides, on the occasion of the day, various political, social, and cultural organizations in the capital have undertaken various programs in remembrance of 'Kalrat' in compliance with the health rules.

A seminar will be held at the central office of the Awami League in a joint venture of Dhaka Metropolitan North-South Awami League. Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the (virtual) party will be the chief guest. Besides, Bangladesh Awami League and allied organizations will take similar programs across the country.