Dhaka/New Delhi, March 25 Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for the establishment of the "spirit of equality, human dignity, and social justice" that characterized the Liberation War, as the nation observed Genocide Day on Wednesday.
The Pakistani army launched "Operation Searchlight" on March 25 to suppress the Bengali people's calls for self-determination in erstwhile East Pakistan, killing over 20,000 people alone in Dhaka.
Officially, three million people were killed in the subsequent nine-month Liberation War.
Bangladesh observes Genocide Day to pay homage to the victims.
In a statement posted on X, Prime Minister Rahman said that Pakistani occupation forces carried out "one of the most heinous genocides in history against the unarmed people of Bangladesh in the name of 'Operation Searchlight'."
"In the history of freedom-loving Bangladesh, March 25, 1971, remains one of the most disgraceful and brutal days," he said, calling it a "pre-planned massacre."
"Let us all strive to honor the sacrifices of the martyrs by establishing in the state and society the spirit of the great Liberation War - equality, human dignity, and social justice," he said.
To convey the value and significance of independence to the present and future generations, it is essential to know about the genocide of March 25 as well, the prime minister added.
The war in 1971 broke out after a sudden crackdown at midnight on March 25, 1971, in the erstwhile East Pakistan by the Pakistani troops and ended on December 16.
The same year Pakistan conceded defeat and unconditionally surrendered in Dhaka to the allied forces comprising the freedom fighters and Indian soldiers.
Bangladesh celebrates its Independence Day on March 26, when it declared independence in 1971, followed by the Liberation War.