Black Night of March 25 today
The ‘black night’ of March 25 returns again today evoking painful memories of a dreadful night of massacre and mayhem, the beginning of genocide of millions of unarmed sleeping Bangalees by the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.
On this fateful night in 1971, the Pakistani military rulers launched "Operation Search Light" killing some 7,000 people irrespective of their class, creed, sex and age in a single night to thwart the independence movement of the freedom-loving Bangalees from the 24-year-old subjugation and exploitation.
Most of the halls of Dhaka University including Jagannath Hall were attacked and teachers, students and employees were dragged out of their quarters and dormitories and massacred in the hundreds turning the entire campus into a killing ground.
Many buildings including the Central Shaheed Minar, the monument of the historic Language Movement of 1952, and those located at Shakhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar, French Road and English Road were razed to the ground as the brutal forces used tanks and heavy artillery during the crack down to silence the voice of the Bangalees.
It was to be only the beginning of the mayhem for long nine months. On March 26, the nation waged an armed struggle against the Pakistani occupation forces following the declaration of independence by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The Pakistani forces arrested the undisputed leader of independence Bangabandhu from his Dhanmondi Road-32 residence in Dhaka City as he, through a wireless message, called upon the people to resist the Pakistani occupation forces with what they had possessed. Later, Awami League leader MA Hannan and Major Ziaur Rahman (later president of Bangladesh) read out the proclamation of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu, which was broadcast from Kalurghat radio station in port city Chittagong.
Responding to the call and defying all horrors and atrocities, the Bangalee nation, particularly the youths, from across the country rose in rebellion and took part in the war of independence of their motherland from the clutches of the Pakistani military junta while nearly one crore people took refuge in neighbouring India.
The nine-month long liberation war that was sparked by the savage and brutal invasion on this very night culminated in surrender of the 93,000 strong Pakistani occupation forces to the Allied Forces of Bangladesh and India at the city’s Race Course Maidan now Suhrawardy Udyan on December 16, 1971.
Different social, cultural and educational organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes for tonight to observe the dark night of March 25 paying homage to those millions of martyrs.
The Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, a combine of the leading cultural organisations of the country, has taken up a two-day programme marking the 36th Independence Day that began with a candle-lit procession from the Central Shaheed Minar in the city and a cultural programme in the evening yesterday.
The nation will celebrate the 36th anniversary of its independence tomorrow. Apart from official Independence Day programmes, different socio-cultural organisations and political parties have chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day.
National dailies will bring out special supplements while the state-run Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and other electronic media in the private sector will air special programmes.
original source Daily Independent
