March 26, New Delhi: Bangladesh observed Genocide Day on Wednesday in solemn remembrance of the victims of the brutal military crackdown carried out by Pakistani forces on the night of March 25, 1971, under the codename Operation Searchlight.
In his address, Prime Minister Rahman described the date as "one of the most disgraceful and brutal days" in Bangladesh's history. He said the violence amounted to one of the most heinous genocides in modern history, targeting unarmed civilians. According to him, the assault was a carefully planned massacre by the Pakistani military to suppress Bengali aspirations.