Did the Pakistanis kill 3 million Bengalis and rape 200,000 Bengali women during the conflict in 1971? (I grammatically corrected the question)
Shahinul Khalisdar
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Did the Pakistanis kill 3 million Bengalis and rape 200,000 Bengali women during the conflict in 1971? ?(I grammatically corrected the question)
I have come across the belief held by some Bangladeshi Bengalis and a few Indians that "Pakistanis killed 3 million Bengalis and raped 200,000 Bengali women during the conflict in 1971," including M Sakhawat Hussain, the advisor for home affairs. In response to this claim, I would like to clarify by asking which Pakistanis are being referred to. Before 1972, there were politically three political entities: East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh; West Pakistan, which is now Pakistan; and United Pakistan, the Federal Government. It's important to understand this distinction first.
If the claim is meant to say, "West Pakistanis killed 3 million Bengalis and raped 200,000 Bengali women during the conflict in 1971," it's important to note that West Pakistan was 1368 miles away from East Pakistan. It would have been nearly impossible for West Pakistanis to travel that far with the intent to harm Bengalis, especially considering that the majority of West Pakistanis did not have awareness of the situation in East Pakistan at that time.
Alternatively, if the claim is directed towards East Pakistani involvement in the conflict, it's important to acknowledge that East Pakistan is now Bangladesh. Since 1946, there have been tense Hindu-Muslim relations in East Pakistan, leading to many Hindu individuals fleeing to India and becoming victims of murder, rape, land grabbing, and extortion even to this day. In East Pakistan, more than 80% of land and properties were owned by Hindus.
However, during the 1971 East Pakistan Civil War, various terrorist groups based in India were involved in attacking East Pakistan's infrastructure, looting private property, and stealing livestock.
The violence started in 1969, when the Sarbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad (All Party Students Action Committee) was formed on January 5. Their main demand was an end to dictatorship and the establishment of democracy. There was no mention of Bengali nationalism. Indian agents chanted the slogan "Joy Bangla, Joy Bongobondhu."
Tense situations have existed between Pakistan and India due to territorial disputes since Pakistan's creation. East Pakistan had always claimed all of Bengal and part of Assam, Tripura, and Arakan, which is why the railway was operational until 1965.
East Pakistan to Bangladesh
The government in exile of the People's Republic of Bangladesh took oath at Baidyanathtala village in the Meherpur district on April 17, 1971, and it's worth noting that Mujib and Zia were not present there. The Indian government and Bhutan recognized Bangladesh and exiled the Bangladesh Government on December 6, 1971.
Additionally, on April 18, 1971, Mukti Bahini was initially organized under the leadership of the exile government's Chief in Command, General Osmani. This group operated from Calcutta and the Indian jungle, and it received support from the Indian BSF, which provided transportation of food, clothes, weapons, and military operational strategy.
It's important to note that aside from Mukti Bahini, three organized groups with their own political agendas existed. Kader Bahini, a criminal gang known for looting and committing extrajudicial killings, had nearly a couple thousand members. If Kader Bahini is not a war criminal, then no one else in the world is a war criminal.
Mujib Bahini
Mujib Bahini aimed to establish Mujibbad, which comprised a few thousand members. Mujibbad did not have a clear political objective. Mujib Bahini first emerged in the early years of 1948 as a group involved in seizing Hindu property and settling land disputes among people in Dhaka. After the creation of Pakistan, almost 80% of the well-educated middle-class Hindus left Dhaka, and Mujib Bahini seized the property left behind by them.
Students widely admired Mujib for his assistance to rural students who came to Dhaka to study and find accommodation and roommates. Between 1948 and 1966, the majority of students gathered at Madhur Canteen, where Mujib covered the cost of tea and snacks on a monthly basis.
After the 1971 Civil War, the Mujib Bahini split into two groups - the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini and the Gonobahini. Both factions engaged in intense fighting resembling a gang war. The Gonobahini accused the Rakkhi Bahini of killing 30,000 of their members and blamed Mujib for the killings. Mujib never publicly denied these accusations.
The Purbo Banglar Communist Party
The Purbo Banglar Communist Party was fighting for a Communist Revolution in East Pakistan. They were notorious for stealing livestock and ruthlessly killing people. After the 1971 war, Mujib eliminated the party, including its leader, Siraj Sikder. Pakistan wasn't able to do this from 1969 to 1971, but Mujib did.
Mukti Bahini had over 30,000 certified and trained guerrillas by the end of November 1971.
None of those groups were fighting for the establishment of Bengali nationalism. Therefore, Bengalis were not the prime target of the war. The main group that was fighting wholeheartedly was The Purbo Banglar Communist Party, which wanted to establish a “Communist Government.” They were not fighting to liberate “Bengalis” with the help of the Soviet Union.
United Pakistan Military
Now, let's determine the number of combat soldiers from the United Pakistan military in East Pakistan. Not all military personnel are combat soldiers. Combat soldiers are specially trained to win wars. They strictly follow orders and are never trained to harm civilians. Their behavior is closely monitored to ensure they do not pose a threat, as they are well-trained to engage and defeat the enemy.
According to the high command of United Pakistan, the combat soldiers did not receive any orders to specifically kill Bengalis. They did receive an "order" on March 25th, 1971, at midnight to arrest all those who were rebellious, and individuals who attacked them had the right to respond with gunfire. Apart from that, they did not receive any orders to harm Bengalis. They were instructed to show restraint and to prevent Indian intrusion to a moderate extent. Initially, the United Pakistan military did not directly engage in war with India until August, and it wasn't until September that the fighting between India and Pakistan intensified in the border areas.
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The question is, if 34,000 combat soldiers from United Pakistan intensified war with India with an 80% border with India and thousands of miles of disputed territory, when did they find time to rape 200,000 Bengali women and kill 3 million Bengalis?
Another question: who counted the raped women and killed people? War General MAG Osmani was my relative, and he never initiated any list of war casualties.
In East Pakistan, dozens of groups were fighting for their own political agenda. Thousands of people were killed by all groups, mainly the Purbo Banglar Communist Party. Additionally, hundreds of girls and boys were raped, mainly Hindus, by police and groups in police stations by the East Pakistan police during their detention. Furthermore, one group raped and killed another group, not the United Pakistan Military, and that was the actual truth.
Peace Committee
The primary organization was the "East Pakistan Peace Committee," which maintained "Peace Committee" offices in every division, district, thana, union, and village across East Pakistan. Every resident of East Pakistan pledged allegiance to the region and committed to preserving its integrity, irrespective of their religion. They vowed to live peacefully in East Pakistan and to promptly report any terrorist activities or presence of Indian agents to the "Peace Committee."
My father served as Chairman of the Standing Committee East Pakistan Peace Committee. He was unaware of the atrocities committed during the conflict, including the killing of 3 million Bengalis and the rape of 200,000 Bengali women by Pakistanis. It’s a ridiculously absurd claim by all Bangladeshi Bengali illiterate to literate “Pakistanis kill 3 million Bengalis and rape 200,000 Bengali women”.
Pro-Pakistani Militia Groups 71:
Razakar
In 1971, when civil war broke out unexpectedly in East Pakistan in April. The Bangladesh Government in exile, formed in India, started guerrilla attacks in East Pakistan from across the border. In May of that year, the leaders of the Muslim League in East Pakistan decided to support the Pakistani military in response to mounting pressure from the Youth Muslim League and Student League. They trained a militia called the Razakars, primarily from the Muslim "Bhadra Samaj," to aid in the fight against the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), Mukti Bahini, Mujib Bahini, Qadir Bahini, and the Purbo Banglar Communist Party.
Al-Badr
Al-Badr was a pro-Pakistani Mujahideen who gave a fierce fight, mostly from Islamic-minded college and University students.
Al-Shams
Al-Shams (meaning the sun) is mostly organized by the pro-China socialist political parties. The militia wing is mostly recruited from colleges.
Jaish-e-Mohammed and Islamic Mujahid
Jaish-e-Mohammed and Islamic Mujahid were mostly from Qawmi Madrasah.
Bangladeshi Bengali
Bengalis have been taught that they are "Bir Bengali" and "Bir Muktizodah." Bangabandhu is considered the Greatest Bengali of All Time in a thousand years of Bengali history, as he was the first Bengali head of state in Bengal who saved Bengalis from colonizing Pakistanis. However, Bengal was always ruled by the petty Rajputs known as "Raj Bari." Every Pargana used to have a Raj Bari or village (????) Zamindar Bari until the East Pakistan Estate Acquisition Act of 1950, which the Muslim League enacted.
According to Bangladeshi Bengalis, they all fought for Bengali liberation from invading Pakistanis, and they all fasted for their Bengali Father Mujib’s well-being; however, Mujib's dead body was lying on the floor for nearly three days. Not a single Bengali went to see his body. There is no substantial evidence that any of the groups fought for Bengali nationalism. That being said, there is no chance to argue “Bengali Genocide.”
Muslim countries, including leaders such as King Faisal, Sheikh Zayed, and Sheikh Sabah, provided aid to help the starving Bengalis instead of merely feeding them. As a result, they erected “Sriti Shoudho “and thousands of Bengali memorials throughout Bangladesh, including in every school and college, and viciously propagated anti-Muslim propaganda.