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Created page with "{{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Bangladesh Liberation War | partof = the Indo-Pakistani conflicts and the Cold War | image = Liberation War of Bangladesh collage.jpg | caption = Clockwise from top-left: Pakistani soldiers surrender; refugees during the war; Mukti Bahini fighters; March 7 speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. | date = 26 March – 16 December 1971 | place = East Pakistan (modern-day ..."

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{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Bangladesh Liberation War
| partof = the [[Indo-Pakistani conflicts]] and the [[Cold War]]
| image = Liberation War of Bangladesh collage.jpg
| caption = Clockwise from top-left: Pakistani soldiers surrender; refugees during the war; Mukti Bahini fighters; March 7 speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
| date = 26 March – 16 December 1971
| place = [[East Pakistan]] (modern-day [[Bangladesh]])
| result = Bangladeshi victory
| combatant1 = [[Mukti Bahini]] Supported by: [[India]]
| combatant2 = [[Pakistan]]
| commander1 = [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] [[Indira Gandhi]] [[General M. A. G. Osmani]]
| commander2 = [[General A. A. K. Niazi]] [[General Yahya Khan]]
| strength1 = 100,000 (Mukti Bahini) 350,000 (Indian forces)
| strength2 = 365,000
| casualties1 = 10,000–30,000 (Mukti Bahini and Indian forces)<ref name="BangladeshWar">[https://www.britannica.com/event/Bangladesh-Liberation-War Encyclopaedia Britannica: Bangladesh Liberation War]</ref>
| casualties2 = 25,000–30,000<ref name="BangladeshWar"/>
| civilian_deaths = 300,000–3,000,000<ref name="Genocide1971">[https://www.history.com/news/genocide-in-bangladesh-1971 History.com: Genocide in Bangladesh, 1971]</ref>
}}

The '''Bangladesh Liberation War''' was a conflict that resulted in the independence of [[Bangladesh]] from [[Pakistan]] in 1971. It was triggered by rising tensions between East Pakistan and West Pakistan, culminating in a brutal military crackdown by the [[Pakistan Army]] and a declaration of independence by East Pakistan on 26 March 1971.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16207201 BBC: Bangladesh Liberation War]</ref>

== Background ==
The roots of the conflict lay in the unequal treatment of East Pakistan by the central government in West Pakistan. Despite East Pakistan's larger population, it was politically and economically marginalized. Cultural and linguistic tensions intensified when the central government sought to impose [[Urdu]] as the sole national language, leading to the [[Bengali Language Movement]].<ref>[https://www.un.org/en/observances/mother-language-day United Nations: International Mother Language Day]</ref>

In the 1970 general elections, the [[Awami League]], led by [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], won a majority in Pakistan's National Assembly. However, the central government, led by [[General Yahya Khan]], refused to transfer power. This led to mass protests and a growing demand for independence in East Pakistan.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/16/bangladesh-40-years-of-independence The Guardian: Bangladesh Independence]</ref>

== Timeline of the War ==
=== Operation Searchlight ===
On 25 March 1971, the Pakistan Army launched [[Operation Searchlight]], a brutal military crackdown in [[Dhaka]] and other parts of East Pakistan. Thousands of civilians were killed, and widespread atrocities were reported.<ref name="Genocide1971"/>

=== Declaration of Independence ===
On 26 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh's independence. The [[Mukti Bahini]], a guerrilla resistance force, was formed to fight against the Pakistan Army.<ref name="BangladeshWar"/>

=== Role of India ===
India, led by [[Prime Minister Indira Gandhi]], supported the independence movement by providing training and resources to the Mukti Bahini and sheltering millions of refugees. On 3 December 1971, India entered the war following Pakistan's preemptive air strikes on Indian territory.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/event/Indo-Pakistani-War-1971 Encyclopaedia Britannica: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]</ref>

=== Surrender of Pakistan ===
On 16 December 1971, Pakistani forces, led by General [[A. A. K. Niazi]], surrendered in [[Dhaka]] to the joint Indian and Mukti Bahini forces, marking the birth of [[Bangladesh]].<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/12/16/december-16-1971-the-birth-of-bangladesh Al Jazeera: The Birth of Bangladesh]</ref>

== Humanitarian Crisis ==
The war caused one of the largest refugee crises of the 20th century, with over 10 million Bengalis fleeing to [[India]]. The Pakistan Army's actions during the war, including mass killings and sexual violence, have been widely condemned as genocide.<ref name="Genocide1971"/>

== Legacy ==
The Bangladesh Liberation War remains a defining moment in South Asian history. Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation, and the conflict highlighted issues of self-determination and human rights. The war is commemorated annually on [[Victory Day (Bangladesh)|Victory Day]] on 16 December.<ref>[https://www.bangladesh.gov.bd/ Government of Bangladesh: Victory Day]</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

== External Links ==
* [https://www.britannica.com/event/Bangladesh-Liberation-War Encyclopaedia Britannica: Bangladesh Liberation War]
* [https://liberationwarbangladesh.net/ Bangladesh Liberation War Archive]
* [https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/ Bangladesh Genocide Prevention]

Bangladesh Liberation War - Revision history