When Dhaka Burned: Inside the Pakistan Army’s Massacre of Innocents Under Operation Searchlight

Dhaka, Bangladesh - The genocide in East Pakistan—what is now Bangladesh—remains one of the darkest chapters in South Asian history. The Pakistan Army’s brutal campaign in 1971 was not just an attempt to suppress a rebellion; it was a systematic effort to erase an entire identity.  

The scars of this violence continue to shape Bangladesh’s political and social landscape, while Pakistan’s role in orchestrating the bloodbath remains an unresolved crime against humanity.

Operation Searchlight: The Night Dhaka Burned

March 25, 1971, will forever be remembered as the night East Pakistan was set ablaze. The Pakistan Army, under General Yahya Khan’s command, launched Operation Searchlight, a military crackdown aimed at crushing the Bengali independence movement. What followed was a gruesome massacre that sent shockwaves across the world.

Dhaka University became one of the first targets. The army stormed dormitories, dragging students out and executing them on the spot. Professors, intellectuals, and activists were lined up and shot, their bodies discarded like garbage. The streets of Dhaka turned into a graveyard overnight. Hospitals were not spared either—patients and doctors were killed in cold blood, and ambulances were set on fire.

While the world debated over the exact number of casualties, the reality on the ground was chilling. Some estimates suggest that three million people were killed in the conflict, while hundreds of thousands of women were subjected to rape and sexual slavery. These figures remain contentious, but what is undeniable is the sheer scale of brutality.

The Targeted Slaughter of Intellectuals and the Rape Camps

As the war raged on, the Pakistan Army didn’t just stop at killing civilians—they waged psychological warfare. Rape was used as a weapon of war. Women, young and old, were systematically assaulted in military camps. Many were forced to bear children of their oppressors, an attempt to dilute Bengali identity itself. Pakistani forces, along with Islamist militia groups like Al-Badr and Al-Shams, executed teachers, journalists, doctors, and artists—anyone who could contribute to an independent Bangladesh.

The most harrowing episode came on December 14, 1971, just days before Pakistan’s surrender. In a desperate bid to cripple Bangladesh’s future, Al-Badr and Al-Shams death squads rounded up hundreds of intellectuals and brutally executed them. Their bodies were found in mass graves, blindfolded and mutilated. The message was clear: Pakistan did not want a free-thinking Bangladesh.

Refugee Crisis and India's Intervention

With entire villages being torched and millions displaced, East Pakistan became an open-air slaughterhouse. The exodus of nearly 10 million refugees into India overwhelmed its resources, but the sheer scale of human suffering forced Indira Gandhi’s government to act. As Pakistan’s atrocities mounted, India finally launched a military intervention in December 1971, backing the Mukti Bahini in their fight for liberation.

The war ended in just 13 days. On December 16, 1971, General A.A.K. Niazi of the Pakistan Army surrendered in Dhaka, marking the birth of Bangladesh. But even as the world celebrated the end of tyranny, the horrors of 1971 remained deeply embedded in Bangladesh’s national consciousness.

The Long Shadow of 1971: Bangladesh’s Fight Against Pakistan’s Continued Meddling

More than 50 years later, the ghosts of 1971 still haunt Bangladesh. The wounds of genocide and war crimes remain fresh, but the modern threat facing Bangladesh is equally insidious. Islamist groups, many of which were originally backed by Pakistan, continue to pose a serious challenge.

The resurgence of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM), a Pakistan-sponsored terror outfit with growing networks in Bangladesh, signals a new phase of cross-border militancy. Recent intelligence reports suggest that TuM is now receiving logistical and financial backing from Bangladesh-based Islamist groups like Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) and Islamic Chhatra Shibir, with Pakistan’s ISI pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

The arrest of Javed Munshi, a TuM operative caught near the Indo-Bangladesh border, has set off alarm bells in India’s security circles. Munshi, trained in Pakistan, was reportedly tasked with reviving terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir with the help of Bangladeshi networks. His capture confirms what many in New Delhi have feared—Bangladesh’s Islamist ecosystem is once again being exploited by Pakistan to foment trouble in India.

Is Bangladesh Becoming Another Pakistan?

The current interim government of Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh is coming under growing scrutiny. By dismantling crucial counterterrorism mechanisms, including a special security desk for Pakistani passengers at Dhaka airport, the government has effectively made it easier for ISI-backed operatives to infiltrate the country. The international community must ask: Is Bangladesh turning into a safe haven for terror groups?

The failure of Dhaka to curb radical elements within its borders is emboldening Pakistan’s terror machine. The Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Jamaat-e-Islami, both of which have historical ties to Pakistan’s ISI, are gaining ground. Pakistan’s strategy is textbook—fuel jihadist networks, destabilize the region, and use Bangladesh as a launchpad for cross-border terror operations into India.

India’s Counter-Terror Strategy: A Wake-Up Call for Dhaka

For India, the increasing radicalization of Bangladesh is not just a diplomatic concern—it’s a security threat. Eliminating TuM networks, strengthening border security, and sustained diplomatic pressure on Bangladesh are now top priorities for New Delhi. But beyond government action, the message to Bangladesh must be clear: Choose your side.

If Dhaka continues to flirt with extremism, it risks international isolation and economic consequences. Pakistan’s model of using terrorism as state policy has turned it into a global pariah—Bangladesh must not follow the same path. For India, the ghosts of 1971 are a stark reminder that history must not be allowed to repeat itself. The battle for Bangladesh’s soul is far from over, and New Delhi must ensure that the sacrifices of 1971 are not undone by present-day terror appeasement.