Bangladesh Liberation war - wikipedia Bangladesh Liberation war Bangladesh Liberation War মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho Clockwise from top left : Martyred Intellectuals Memorial, Bangladesh Forces howitzer, Surrender of Pakistan to Indian and Bangladesh forces, The sunken PNS Ghazi. Date 26 March 1971 -- 16 December 1971 Location East Pakistan ( In modern times, Bangladesh ) India - East Pakistan border, the Bay of Bengal, the Pasha enclave, parts of East India. Result Decisive Indian and Bangladeshi victory Collapse of the Eastern Command of Pakistan in Eastern Front Establishment of the sovereignty of Bangladesh Territorial changes Independence of East Pakistan from Pakistan as a sovereign Peoples ' Republic of Bangladesh Belligerents Bangladesh Mukti Bahini India Indian Armed Forces ( 3 -- 16 December 1971 ) Supported by : Soviet Union People 's Republic of Bulgaria East Germany Czechoslovakia Poland Hungarian People 's Republic Socialist Republic of Romania Cuba Pakistan Govt. of East Pakistan Pakistan Army Pakistan Navy Pakistan Air Force Supported by : China United States United Kingdom Turkey Pakistan Armed Forces Paramilitary forces : Jamaat - e-Islami Nagorik Shanti Committee Razakars Al - Badr Al - Shams Commanders and leaders Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( President of Provisional Government of Bangladesh ) Tajuddin Ahmad ( Prime Minister of Provisional Government of Bangladesh ) M.A.G. Osmani ( Cdr - in - C, Bangladesh Forces ) Maj. K.M. Shafiullah ( Commander, S Force ) Maj. Ziaur Rahman ( Commander, Z Force ) Maj. Khaled Mosharraf ( Commander, K Force ) V.V. Giri ( President of India ) Indira Gandhi ( Prime Minister of India ) Swaran Singh ( External Minister of India ) Gen Sam Manekshaw ( Chief of Army Staff ) Lt. Gen J.S. Arora ( GOC - in - C, Eastern Command ) Lt. Gen Sagat Singh ( GOC - in - C, IV Corps ) Maj. Gen Inderjit Singh Gill ( Dir., Military Operations ) MajGen Om Malhotra ( COS, IV Corps ) MajGen Farj R. Jacob ( COS, Eastern Command ) MajGen Shabeg Singh ( GOC, Garhwal Rifles / Training MB ) V. Adm Nilakanta Krishnan ( FOC - in - C, Eastern Naval Command ) AM Hari Chand Dewan ( AOC - in - C, Eastern Air Command ) K. Sankaran Nair ( Deputy Director, RA&W ) Abdul Motaleb Malik ( Governor of East Pakistan ) Ghulam Azam ( Chair, Nagorik Shanti Committee ) Motiur Rahman Nizami ( Emir of Jamaat - e-Islami ) Abdul Quader Molla ( Leader, Al - Badr ) Abul Kalam Azad ( Leader, Razakar ) Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry ( Leader, Al - Shams ) Yahya Khan ( President of Pakistan ) Nurul Amin ( Prime Minister of Pakistan ) Gen. A.H. Khan ( Chief of Staff, Army GHQ ) Lt. Gen A.A.K. Niazi ( Commander, Eastern Command ) MGen Rao Farman Ali ( Mil. Adv., Govt. EPk ) MGen Khadim Hussain ( GOC, 14th Infantry Division ) RAdm Moh 'd Shariff ( Cdr, Eastern Naval Command ) Capt. Ahmad Zamir ( CO, Pakistan Marines East ) Cdr Zafar Muhammad † ( CO, PNS Ghazi ) Air Cdre Inamul Haque ( AOC, Eastern Air Command ) Air Cdre Mitty Masud ( AOC, Eastern Air Cmnd. ( 1969 -- 71 ) ) Units involved 175,000 250,000 ~ 365,000 regular troops ( ~ 97,000 + in East Pakistan ) ~ 25,000 militiamen Casualties and losses ~ 30,000 killed 1,426 -- 1,525 killed 3,611 -- 4,061 wounded ~ 8,000 killed ~ 10,000 wounded 90,000 -- 93,000 captured ( including 79,676 troops and 10,324 -- 12,192 local militiamen ) Civilian death : Estimates range between 300,000 and 3 million. Bangladesh Liberation War Mukti Bahini resistance Searchlight Jackpot Barisal Kamalpur Daruin Nakshi Border Outpost Rangamati - Mahalchari waterway Goalhati Dhalai Border Outpost Garibpur Gazipur Sylhet Kushtia Ghasipur Bogra Indian intervention Cactus - Lilly Chengiz Khan Jackpot PNS Ghazi Trident Python Atgram Basantar Boyra Chamb Dhalai Hilli Longewala Sylhet Meghna Heli Bridge Tangail Air War Naval War 1971 Bangladesh Genocide Dhaka University Shankharipara Jinjira Akhira Jathibhanga Demra Chuknagar Madhyapara Bakhrabad Burunga Systematic events Killing of intellectuals Rape Provisional Government Refugees in India Instrument of Surrender § indicates events in the internal resistance movement linked to the Indo - Pakistani War. ‡ indicates events in the Indo - Pakistani War linked to the internal resistance movement in Bangladesh. Part of a series on the History of Bangladesh Etymology Timeline Traditional Urheimat Ancient Neolithic, c. 7600 -- c. 3300 BCE Bronze Age, c. 3300 -- c. 1200 BCE Iron Age, c. 1200 -- c. 200 BCE Janapada, c. 1200 - c. 600 BCE Northern Black Polished Ware, c. 700 - c. 200 BCE Pundra Kingdom, c. 700 - c. 200 BCE Bengal in Mahabharata, c. 400 - c. 325 BCE Gangaridai Kingdom, c. 350 - c. 325 BCE Mauryan Empire, c. 325 -- c. 185 BCE Samatata Kingdom, c. 232 BCE - c. 800 CE Shunga - Kushan Period, c. 185 BCE -- c. 75 CE Southwestern Silk Road, c. 114 BCE - c. 1450 CE Indo - Roman trade relations, c. 30 - BCE - c. 600 CE Classical Gupta Empire, c. 240 - c. 550 CE Sylhet - Assam Varmans, c. 350 - c. 650 CE Gauda Kingdom, c. 590 - c. 626 CE Khadga dynasty, c. 650 - c. 750 CE Pala Empire, c. 750 - c. 1100 CE Arrival of Islam, c. 800 - c. 1050 CE Harikela Kingdom, c. 900 - c. 1050 CE Candra dynasty, c. 900 - c. 1050 CE Sena dynasty, c. 1070 - c. 1320 CE Deva dynasty, c. 1100 - c. 1250 CE Medieval Delhi Sultanate, c. 1204 - c. 1338 CE Mamluk Dynasty Khalji Dynasty Tugluq Dynasty Sonargaon Sultanate, c. 1338 - c. 1352 CE Bengal Sultanate, c. 1352 - c. 1576 CE Ilyas Shahi dynasty Hussain Shahi dynasty Karrani dynasty Suri Dynasty, c. 1540 - c. 1556 CE Twelve Bhuyans, c. 1550 - c. 1620 CE Porto Grande de Bengala, c. 1528 - c. 1666 CE Chittagong - Arakan Kingdom, c. 1530 - c. 1666 CE Mughal Empire, c. 1576 - c. 1717 CE Bengal Subah Modern Nawabs of Bengal, c. 1717 - c. 1757 CE Company Raj, c. 1757 - c. 1858 CE Faraizi Movement, c. 1818 - c. 1884 CE The Great Rebellion, c. 1857 - c. 1858 CE British Raj, c. 1858 - c. 1947 CE Bengal Renaissance Eastern Bengal and Assam Prime Minister of Bengal East Bengal, c. 1947 - c. 1955 CE Bengali Language Movement East Pakistan, c. 1955 - c. 1971 CE Six Point Movement 1969 uprising in East Pakistan Pakistani general election, 1970 Bangladesh Liberation War, c. 1971 CE Declaration of Independence Provisional Government of Bangladesh 1971 Bangladesh Genocide Bangladesh Forces Bangladeshi Republic, c. 1972 CE - present Related articles Timeline of Bangladeshi history Bangladeshi art History of Bengali literature Bangladesh portal The Bangladesh Liberation War ( Bengali : মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh, was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self - determination movement in what was then East Pakistan and the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. It resulted in the independence of the People 's Republic of Bangladesh. The war began after the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March 1971. It pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia, religious minorities and armed personnel. The junta annulled the results of the 1970 elections and arrested Prime minister - designate Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The war ended on 16 December 1971 after West Pakistan surrendered. Rural and urban areas across East Pakistan saw extensive military operations and air strikes to suppress the tide of civil disobedience that formed following the 1970 election stalemate. The Pakistan Army, which had the backing of Islamists, created radical religious militias -- the Razakars, Al - Badr and Al - Shams -- to assist it during raids on the local populace. Urdu - speaking Biharis in Bangladesh ( ethnic minority ) were also in support of Pakistani military. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting militias engaged in mass murder, deportation and genocidal rape. The capital Dhaka was the scene of numerous massacres, including the Operation Searchlight and Dhaka University massacre. An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighboring India, while 30 million were internally displaced. Sectarian violence broke out between Bengalis and Urdu - speaking immigrants. An academic consensus prevails that the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military were a genocide. The Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from Chittagong by members of the Mukti Bahini -- the national liberation army formed by Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians. The East Bengal Regiment and the East Pakistan Rifles played a crucial role in the resistance. Led by General M.A.G. Osmani and eleven sector commanders, the Bangladesh Forces waged a mass guerrilla war against the Pakistani military. They liberated numerous towns and cities in the initial months of the conflict. The Pakistan Army regained momentum in the monsoon. Bengali guerrillas carried out widespread sabotage, including Operation Jackpot against the Pakistan Navy. The nascent Bangladesh Air Force flew sorties against Pakistani military bases. By November, the Bangladesh forces restricted the Pakistani military to its barracks during the night. They secured control of most parts of the countryside. The Provisional Government of Bangladesh was formed on 17 April 1971 in Mujibnagar and moved to Calcutta as a government in exile. Bengali members of the Pakistani civil, military and diplomatic corps defected to the Bangladeshi provisional government. Thousands of Bengali families were interned in West Pakistan, from where many escaped to Afghanistan. Bengali cultural activists operated the clandestine Free Bengal Radio Station. The plight of millions of war - ravaged Bengali civilians caused worldwide outrage and alarm. The Indian state led by Indira Gandhi provided substantial diplomatic, economic and military support to Bangladeshi nationalists. British, Indian and American musicians organised the world 's first benefit concert in New York City to support the Bangladeshi people. Senator Ted Kennedy in the United States led a congressional campaign for an end to Pakistani military persecution ; while US diplomats in East Pakistan strongly dissented with the Nixon administration 's close ties to the Pakistani military dictator Yahya Khan. India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikes on North India. The subsequent Indo - Pakistani War witnessed engagements on two war fronts. With air supremacy achieved in the eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the Allied Forces of Bangladesh and India, Pakistan surrendered in Dacca on 16 December 1971. The war changed the geopolitical landscape of South Asia, with the emergence of Bangladesh as the seventh-most populous country in the world. Due to complex regional alliances, the war was a major episode in Cold War tensions involving the United States, the Soviet Union and the People 's Republic of China. The majority of member states in the United Nations recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation in 1972. Contents 1 Background 1.1 Language controversy 1.2 Disparities 1.3 Religious and cultural differences 1.4 Political differences 1.5 Response to the 1970 cyclone 1.6 Operation Searchlight 1.7 Declaration of independence 2 Liberation war 2.1 March -- June 2.2 June -- September 2.3 October -- December 3 Indian involvement 3.1 Indian Involvement cont 'd : The debate 3.2 Air and naval war 4 Surrender and aftermath 4.1 Reaction in West Pakistan to the war 5 Atrocities 6 Foreign reaction 6.1 United Nations 6.2 Bhutan 6.3 US and USSR 6.4 China 7 In popular culture 8 See also 9 Footnotes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links Background Map of the British Raj in 1909 showing Muslim majority areas in green, including modern - day Bangladesh on the east and Pakistan on the west. Prior to the Partition of British India, the Lahore Resolution initially envisaged separate Muslim - majority states in the eastern and northwestern zones of British India. A proposal for an independent United Bengal was mooted by Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1946, but was opposed by the colonial authorities. The East Pakistan Renaissance Society advocated the creation of a sovereign state in eastern British India. Eventually, political negotiations led, in August 1947, to the official birth of two states, Pakistan and India, giving presumably permanent homes for Muslims and Hindus respectively following the departure of the British. The Dominion of Pakistan comprised two geographically and culturally separate areas to the east and the west with India in between. The western zone was popularly ( and for a period, also officially ) termed West Pakistan and the eastern zone ( modern - day Bangladesh ) was initially termed East Bengal and later, East Pakistan. Although the population of the two zones was close to equal, political power was concentrated in West Pakistan and it was widely perceived that East Pakistan was being exploited economically, leading to many grievances. Administration of two discontinuous territories was also seen as a challenge. On 25 March 1971, after an election won by an East Pakistani political party ( the Awami League ) was ignored by the ruling ( West Pakistani ) establishment, rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met by brutal suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment, in what came to be termed Operation Searchlight. The violent crackdown by Pakistan Army led to Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declaring East Pakistan 's independence as the state of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971. Most Bengalis threw their support behind this move although Islamists and Biharis opposed this and sided with the Pakistan Army instead. Pakistani President Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan ordered the Pakistani military to restore the Pakistani government 's authority, beginning the civil war. The war led to a sea of refugees ( estimated at the time to be about 10 million ) flooding into the eastern provinces of India. Facing a mounting humanitarian and economic crisis, India started actively aiding and organising the Bangladeshi resistance army known as the Mukti Bahini. Language controversy Main article : Language Movement In 1948, Governor - General Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared that `` Urdu, and only Urdu '' would be the federal language of Pakistan. However, Urdu was historically prevalent only in the north, central, and western region of the subcontinent ; whereas in East Bengal, the native language was Bengali, one of the two most easterly branches of the Indo - European languages. The Bengali - speaking people of Pakistan constituted over 30 % of the country 's population. The government stand was widely viewed as an attempt to suppress the culture of the eastern wing. The people of East Bengal demanded that their language be given federal status alongside Urdu and English. The Language Movement began in 1948, as civil society protested the removal of the Bengali script from currency and stamps, which were in place since the British Raj. The movement reached its climax in 1952, when on 21 February, the police fired on protesting students and civilians, causing several deaths. The day is revered in Bangladesh as the Language Movement Day. Later, in memory of the deaths in 1952, UNESCO declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day in November 1999. Disparities Although East Pakistan had a larger population, West Pakistan dominated the divided country politically and received more money from the common budget. Year Spending on West Pakistan ( in millions of Pakistani rupees ) Spending on East Pakistan ( in millions of Pakistani rupees ) Amount spent on East as percentage of West 1950 -- 55 11,290 5,240 46.4 1955 -- 60 16,550 5,240 31.7 1960 -- 65 33,550 14,040 41.8 1965 -- 70 51,950 21,410 41.2 Total 113,340 45,930 40.5 Source : Reports of the Advisory Panels for the Fourth Five Year Plan 1970 -- 75, Vol. I, published by the planning commission of Pakistan. Bengalis were under - represented in the Pakistan military. Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the armed forces made up just 5 % of overall force by 1965 ; of these, only a few were in command positions, with the majority in technical or administrative posts. West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not `` martially inclined '' unlike Pashtuns and Punjabis ; the `` Martial races '' notion was dismissed as ridiculous and humiliating by Bengalis. Moreover, despite huge defence spending, East Pakistan received none of the benefits, such as contracts, purchasing and military support jobs. The Indo - Pakistani War of 1965 over Kashmir also highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis, as only an under - strength infantry division and 15 combat aircraft without tank support were in East Pakistan to thwart any Indian retaliations during the conflict. Religious and cultural differences The only common bond between the two Pakistani wings was religion. But there were differences even in religious practices. Bengali Muslims tended to be less conservative in religious zeal, and had come to accept their Hindu minority and neighbours despite some communal clashes. Many Bengali Muslims strongly objected to the Islamist paradigm imposed by the Pakistani state. Most members of West Pakistan 's ruling elite also belonged to a liberal society, yet understood a common faith as the mobilising factor behind Pakistan 's creation and the subsuming of Pakistan 's multiple identities into one. Cultural and linguistic differences between the two wings outweighed any religious unity. The Bengalis were very proud of their culture and language which with its Devnagari script and Sanskrit vocabulary was unacceptable to the West Pakistani elite who considered it to smack of Hindu culture. The Bangladeshi liberation struggle against Pakistan was led by secular leaders. With this reality and the feeling of Islamic solidarity in the background, Islamists in East Pakistan viewed Bengali nationalism as unacceptable and instead sided with the Pakistani Army 's efforts to crush the Bengali independence movement. Secularists hailed the Bangladeshi victory as the triumph of secular Bengali nationalism over religion - centred Pakistani nationalism. Most of the politically - active ulama of East Pakistan either remained neutral or sided with the Pakistani state, since they perceived the break - up of Pakistan as a loss for Islam. Political differences Although East Pakistan accounted for a slight majority of the country 's population, political power remained in the hands of West Pakistanis. Since a straightforward system of representation based on population would have concentrated political power in East Pakistan, the West Pakistani establishment came up with the `` One Unit '' scheme, where all of West Pakistan was considered one province. This was solely to counterbalance the East wing 's votes. After the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan 's first prime minister, in 1951, political power began to devolve to the new President of Pakistan, which replaced the office of Governor General when Pakistan became a republic, and, eventually, the military. The nominal elected chief executive, the Prime Minister, was frequently sacked by the establishment, acting through the President. The East Pakistanis observed that the West Pakistani establishment would swiftly depose any East Pakistanis elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, such as Khawaja Nazimuddin, Mohammad Ali Bogra, or Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. Their suspicions were further aggravated by the military dictatorships of Ayub Khan ( 27 October 1958 -- 25 March 1969 ) and Yahya Khan ( 25 March 1969 -- 20 December 1971 ), both West Pakistanis. The situation reached a climax in 1970, when the Bangladesh Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory in the national elections. The party won 167 of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 313 seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a government. However, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ( a former Foreign Minister ), the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed the idea of having two Prime Ministers, one for each wing. The proposal elicited outrage in the east wing, already chafing under the other constitutional innovation, the `` One Unit scheme ''. Bhutto also refused to accept Rahman 's Six Points. On 3 March 1971, the two leaders of the two wings along with the President General Yahya Khan met in Dacca to decide the fate of the country. After their discussions yielded no satisfactory results, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a nationwide strike. Bhutto feared a civil war, therefore, he sent his trusted companion, Mubashir Hassan. A message was conveyed, and Rahman decided to meet Bhutto. Upon his arrival, Rahman met with Bhutto and both agreed to form a coalition government with Rahman as Premier and Bhutto as President. However, the military was unaware of these developments, and Bhutto increased his pressure on Rahman to reach a decision. On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( soon to be the prime minister ) delivered a speech at the Racecourse Ground ( now called the Suhrawardy Udyan ). In this speech he mentioned a further four - point condition to consider at the National Assembly Meeting on 25 March : The immediate lifting of martial law. Immediate withdrawal of all military personnel to their barracks. An inquiry into the loss of life. Immediate transfer of power to the elected representative of the people before the assembly meeting 25 March. He urged his people to turn every house into a fort of resistance. He closed his speech saying, `` Our struggle is for our freedom. Our struggle is for our independence. '' This speech is considered the main event that inspired the nation to fight for its independence. General Tikka Khan was flown into Dacca to become Governor of East Bengal. East - Pakistani judges, including Justice Siddique, refused to swear him in. Between 10 and 13 March, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled all their international routes to urgently fly `` government passengers '' to Dacca. These `` government passengers '' were almost all Pakistani soldiers in civilian dress. MV Swat, a ship of the Pakistan Navy carrying ammunition and soldiers, was harboured in Chittagong Port, but the Bengali workers and sailors at the port refused to unload the ship. A unit of East Pakistan Rifles refused to obey commands to fire on the Bengali demonstrators, beginning a mutiny among the Bengali soldiers. Response to the 1970 cyclone The 1970 Bhola cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of 12 November, around the same time as a local high tide, killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people. Though the exact death toll is not known, it is considered the deadliest tropical cyclone on record. A week after the landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made `` slips '' and `` mistakes '' in its handling of the relief efforts due to a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the disaster. A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after the cyclone hit charged the government with `` gross neglect, callous and utter indifference ''. They also accused the president of playing down the magnitude of the problem in news coverage. On 19 November, students held a march in Dacca protesting the slowness of the government 's response. Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a rally of 50,000 people on 24 November, where he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation. As the conflict between East and West Pakistan developed in March, the Dacca offices of the two government organisations directly involved in relief efforts were closed for at least two weeks, first by a general strike and then by a ban on government work in East Pakistan by the Awami League. With this increase in tension, foreign personnel were evacuated over fears of violence. Relief work continued in the field, but long - term planning was curtailed. This conflict widened into the Bangladesh Liberation War in December and concluded with the creation of Bangladesh. This was one of the first times that a natural event helped trigger a civil war. Operation Searchlight Main article : Operation Searchlight Location of Bengali and Pakistani military units during Operation Searchlight, March 1971 Bangladeshi propaganda posters glorifying the Mukti Bahini 's men and women, quoting Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 's 7th March speech and calling on East Pakistani Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists to unite as one nation. A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army -- codenamed Operation Searchlight -- started on 25 March to curb the Bengali independence movement by taking control of the major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. The Pakistani state claimed to justify starting Operation Searchlight on the basis of anti-Bihari violence by Bengalis in early March. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from East Pakistan. The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The operation also began the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. These systematic killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, which ultimately resulted in the secession of East Pakistan later in the same year. Bangladeshi media and reference books in English have published casualty figures which vary greatly, from 5,000 -- 35,000 in Dacca, and 200,000 -- 3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole, although independent researchers, including the British Medical Journal, have put forward the figure ranging from between 125,000 and 505,000. American political scientist Rudolph Rummel puts total deaths at 1.5 million. The atrocities have been referred to as acts of genocide. According to the Asia Times, At a meeting of the military top brass, Yahya Khan declared : `` Kill 3 million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands. '' Accordingly, on the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army launched Operation Searchlight to `` crush '' Bengali resistance in which Bengali members of military services were disarmed and killed, students and the intelligentsia systematically liquidated and able - bodied Bengali males just picked up and gunned down. Although the violence focused on the provincial capital, Dacca, it also affected all parts of East Pakistan. Residential halls of the University of Dacca were particularly targeted. The only Hindu residential hall -- Jagannath Hall -- was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered. The Pakistani army denied any cold blooded killings at the university, though the Hamoodur Rahman Commission in Pakistan concluded that overwhelming force was used at the university. This fact, and the massacre at Jagannath Hall and nearby student dormitories of Dacca University, are corroborated by a videotape secretly filmed by Professor Nurul Ula of the East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology, whose residence was directly opposite the student dormitories. The scale of the atrocities was first made clear in the West when Anthony Mascarenhas, a Pakistani journalist who had been sent to the province by the military authorities to write a story favourable to Pakistan 's actions, instead fled to the United Kingdom and, on 13 June 1971, published an article in The Sunday Times describing the systematic killings by the military. The BBC wrote : `` There is little doubt that Mascarenhas ' reportage played its part in ending the war. It helped turn world opinion against Pakistan and encouraged India to play a decisive role '', with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi herself stating that Mascarenhas ' article has led her `` to prepare the ground for India 's armed intervention ''. Hindu areas suffered particularly heavy blows. By midnight, Dacca was burning, especially the Hindu - dominated eastern part of the city. Time magazine reported on 2 August 1971, `` The Hindus, who account for three - fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Pakistani military hatred. '' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani Army. Yahya Khan appointed Brigadier ( later General ) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal prosecuting Rahman with multiple charges. The tribunal 's sentence was never made public, but Yahya caused the verdict to be held in abeyance in any case. Other Awami League leaders were arrested as well, while a few fled Dacca to avoid arrest. The Awami League was banned by General Yahya Khan. Declaration of independence See also : Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence and 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971 proved the last straw to the efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these outrages, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration that read : Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dacca. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting the enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla ( May Bangladesh be victorious ). Sheikh Mujib also called upon the people to resist the occupation forces through a radio message. Rahman was arrested on the night of 25 -- 26 March 1971 at about 1 : 30 am ( as per Radio Pakistan 's news on 29 March 1971 ). An iconic poster by Quamrul Hassan on General Yahya Khan, representing the Pakistani military junta as demons. A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 's declaration reached some students in Chittagong. The message was translated to Bengali by Dr. Manjula Anwar. The students failed to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby Agrabad Station of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation. However, the message was read several times by the independent Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro Radio established by some rebel Bangali Radio workers in Kalurghat. Major Ziaur Rahman was requested to provide security of the station and he also read the Declaration on 27 March 1971. Major Ziaur Rahman broadcast announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This is Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that Independent People 's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken the command as the temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalees to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our motherland. Victory is, by the Grace of Allah, ours. Joy Bangla. The Kalurghat Radio Station 's transmission capability was limited, but the message was picked up by a Japanese ship in the Bay of Bengal. It was then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later by the British Broadcasting Corporation. M.A. Hannan, an Awami League leader from Chittagong, is said to have made the first announcement of the declaration of independence over the radio on 26 March 1971. 26 March 1971 is considered the official Independence Day of Bangladesh, and the name Bangladesh was in effect henceforth. In July 1971, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi openly referred to the former East Pakistan as Bangladesh. Some Pakistani and Indian officials continued to use the name `` East Pakistan '' until 16 December 1971. Liberation war Main articles : Mukti Bahini and Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War March -- June At first, resistance was spontaneous and disorganised, and was not expected to be prolonged. However, when the Pakistani Army cracked down upon the population, resistance grew. The Mukti Bahini became increasingly active. The Pakistani military sought to quell them, but increasing numbers of Bengali soldiers defected to this underground `` Bangladesh army ''. These Bengali units slowly merged into the Mukti Bahini and bolstered their weaponry with supplies from India. Pakistan responded by airlifting in two infantry divisions and reorganising their forces. They also raised paramilitary forces of Razakars, Al - Badrs and Al - Shams ( who were mostly members of the Muslim League and other Islamist groups ), as well as other Bengalis who opposed independence, and Bihari Muslims who had settled during the time of partition. On 17 April 1971, a provisional government was formed in Meherpur District in western Bangladesh bordering India with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was in prison in Pakistan, as President, Syed Nazrul Islam as Acting President, Tajuddin Ahmad as Prime Minister, and General Muhammad Ataul Ghani Osmani as Commander - in - Chief, Bangladesh Forces. As fighting grew between the occupation army and the Bengali Mukti Bahini, an estimated 10 million Bengalis sought refuge in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal. June -- September The eleven sectors during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Advertisement for former Beatle George Harrison 's `` Bangla Desh '' single, released in July 1971 to raise international awareness and funds for the millions of Bangladeshi refugees. See also : List of sectors in the Bangladesh Liberation War and Military plans of the Bangladesh Liberation War Bangladesh forces command was set up on 11 July, with Col. M.A.G. Osmani as commander - in - chief ( C - in - C ) with the status of Cabinet Minister, Lt. Col., Abdur Rabb as chief of Staff ( COS ), Group Captain AK Khandker as Deputy Chief of Staff ( DCOS ) and Major AR Chowdhury as Assistant Chief of Staff ( ACOS ). General Osmani had differences of opinion with the Indian leadership regarding the role of the Mukti Bahini in the conflict. Indian leadership initially envisioned Bengali forces to be trained into a small elite guerrilla force of 8,000 members, led by the surviving East Bengal Regiment soldiers operating in small cells around Bangladesh to facilitate the eventual Indian intervention, but with the Bangladesh government in exile, General Osmani favoured a different strategy : Bengali conventional forces would occupy lodgment areas inside Bangladesh and then the Bangladesh government would request international diplomatic recognition and intervention. Initially Mymensingh was picked for this operation, but Gen. Osmani later settled on Sylhet. Sending the maximum number to guerrillas inside Bangladesh as soon as possible with the following objectives : Increasing Pakistani casualties through raids and ambush. Cripple economic activity by hitting power stations, railway lines, storage depots and communication networks. Destroy Pakistan army mobility by blowing up bridges / culverts, fuel depots, trains and river crafts. The strategic objective was to make the Pakistanis spread their forces inside the province, so attacks could be made on isolated Pakistani detachments. Bangladesh was divided into eleven sectors in July, each with a commander chosen from defected officers of the Pakistani army who joined the Mukti Bahini to conduct guerrilla operations and train fighters. Most of their training camps were situated near the border area and were operated with assistance from India. The 10th Sector was directly placed under the Commander in Chief ( C - in - C ) General M.A.G. Osmani and included the Naval Commandos and C - in - C 's special force. Three brigades ( 11 Battalions ) were raised for conventional warfare ; a large guerrilla force ( estimated at 100,000 ) was trained. Three brigades ( eight infantry battalions and three artillery batteries ) were put into action between July and September. During June and July, Mukti Bahini had regrouped across the border with Indian aid through Operation Jackpot and began sending 2000 -- 5000 guerrillas across the border, the so - called Monsoon Offensive, which for various reasons ( lack of proper training, supply shortage, lack of a proper support network inside Bangladesh ) failed to achieve its objectives. Bengali regular forces also attacked BOPs in Mymensingh, Comilla and Sylhet, but the results were mixed. Pakistani authorities concluded that they had successfully contained the Monsoon Offensive, which proved a near - accurate observation. Guerrilla operations, which slackened during the training phase, picked up after August. Economic and military targets in Dacca were attacked. The major success story was Operation Jackpot, in which naval commandos mined and blew up berthed ships in Chittagong, Mongla, Narayanganj and Chandpur on 15 August 1971. October -- December See also : Mitro Bahini Order of Battle December 1971 ; Pakistan Army order of battle, December 1971 ; Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan ; and Operation Jackpot Bangladeshi conventional forces attacked border outposts. Kamalpur, Belonia and the Battle of Boyra are a few examples. 90 out of 370 BOPs fell to Bengali forces. Guerrilla attacks intensified, as did Pakistani and Razakar reprisals on civilian populations. Pakistani forces were reinforced by eight battalions from West Pakistan. The Bangladeshi independence fighters even managed to temporarily capture airstrips at Lalmonirhat and Shalutikar. Both of these were used for flying in supplies and arms from India. Pakistan sent another five battalions from West Pakistan as reinforcements. Indian involvement `` All unprejudiced persons objectively surveying the grim events in Bangladesh since March 25 have recognised the revolt of 75 million people, a people who were forced to the conclusion that neither their life, nor their liberty, to say nothing of the possibility of the pursuit of happiness, was available to them '' - Indira Gandhi in a letter to Richard Nixon, 15 December 1971 Illustration showing military units and troop movements during the war. Allied Indian T - 55 tanks on their way to Dacca See also : Indo - Pakistani War of 1971 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had concluded that instead of taking in millions of refugees, it was economical to go to war against Pakistan. As early as 28 April 1971, the Indian Cabinet had asked General Manekshaw ( Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee ) to `` Go into East Pakistan ''. Hostile relations in the past between India and Pakistan added to India 's decision to intervene in Pakistan 's civil war. Resultantly, the Indian government decided to support the creation of a separate state for ethnic Bengalis by supporting the Mukti Bahini. For this, RAW, helped to organise, train and arm these insurgents. Consequently, the Mukti Bahini succeeded in harassing Pakistani military in East Pakistan, thus creating conditions conducive for a full - scale Indian military intervention in early December. Thus, wary of the growing involvement of India, the Pakistan Air Force ( PAF ) launched a pre-emptive strike on Indian Air Force bases on 3 December 1971. The attack was modelled on the Israeli Air Force 's Operation Focus during the Six - Day War, and intended to neutralise the Indian Air Force planes on the ground. The strike was seen by India as an open act of unprovoked aggression. This marked the official start of the Indo - Pakistani War. As a response to the attack, both India and Pakistan formally acknowledged the `` existence of a state of war between the two countries '', even though neither government had formally issued a declaration of war. Three Indian corps were involved in the liberation of East Pakistan. They were supported by nearly three brigades of Mukti Bahini fighting alongside them, and many more fighting irregularly. This was far superior to the Pakistani army of three divisions. The Indians quickly overran the country, selectively engaging or bypassing heavily defended strongholds. Pakistani forces were unable to effectively counter the Indian attack, as they had been deployed in small units around the border to counter guerrilla attacks by the Mukti Bahini. Unable to defend Dacca, the Pakistanis surrendered on 16 December 1971. Indian involvement cont 'd : the debate The debate of Indian involvement in this war has been a source of tension and underlying conflict between India and Bangladesh since the emergence of the war itself. This section examines the role of India in this war by exploring the ways in which India largely contributed to the war and to what extent this aided the Bangladeshis. In exploring the latter, one can see that there are several ways in which India aided Bangladesh. For one, India was largely responsible for building the Mukti Bahini from a group of inexperienced rebel fighters to an army formidable enough to fight against the Pakistani army. When the war first broke out it in 1971, the initial state of the Bengali rebels can be understood from the remark of one Bengali rebel officer, who complained that `` No one in the Bangladesh cabinet knows anything about war ''. This construed the dire situation of the army before India 's intervention. The Mukti Bahini was recounted as being `` Without any supplies or assistance ''. If a weapon became unserviceable the soldier carrying that weapon became useless, since he could not be given another weapon. There was a complete dearth of a `` Modern communication system to be in constant touch with troops in different battle locations ''. This is evidenced in that the Mukti Bahini 's position was threatened at Kumira, but the army had received the message three hours late because of the poor communication system. Indira Gandhi 's government escalated its backing for the Bengali uprising from July 1970 onwards. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India at the time, when asked if India stimulated the Liberation War, had candidly said that `` If you want to go way back, we helped the Mukti Bahini. So, if you consider it all as beginning with that aid and from that moment, yes - we were the ones to start it. '' As the war progressed, the involvement of the Indian Army in this war intensified and with each stage improved Mukti Bahini. Initially, the Indian army was directly ordered to help the Mukti Bahini, involving India 's top generals This is evident in the Indian army 's training and sponsoring of the Bengali rebels who comprised Mukti Bahini, which was badly outnumbered, many bearing only knives and hand grenades, reluctant to attack Pakistani army units. Even the better - armed insurgents were outmatched by Pakistan 's artillery and air force. Durga Prasad Dhar, confidant of Indira Gandhi who was a chief architect of the Indian intervention in the war, aided Bengali exiles in London to purchase weapons in Belgium and ship them to the guerrillas in East Pakistan. The Indian Army was thoroughly enmeshed in the guerilla warfare, as shown by a report to Indira Gandhi 's government from an Indian team touring the border states of Assam and Tripura in the early 1970s. Furthermore, India 's Border Security Force provided cover when the Bengali rebels attacked towns of Pakistan army positions. Under fire, the guerrillas relied on India 's force to provide support or re-supply them with ammunition. The Bengalis, in desperation, used children as soldiers - these children were untrained and inexperienced. However, under the eye of the Indian army, these child soldiers were taken for special and regular military training, and the Indian government planned youth training, consisting of political indoctrination and guerilla warfare. Many of the youth camps were run by India 's Border Security Force, with the military training given by the Indian army. To fight an effective riverine campaign, the rebels -- accustomed to their homeland of marshes and water - wars, needed to be taught about camouflage and crawling. This is where the debate comes in. On the other side of the argument there is evidence that shows this aid may have not been as adequate as many historians believe. The rebels were simply not getting enough. Furthermore, the guerillas, often fighting with weapons captured from Pakistan desperately wanted more arms and ammunition from India. The rebel officers pleaded for heavy artillery, anti-aircraft rounds, and anti-tank grenades. They required Rifles, mortars, walkie - talkies, field telephone sets, maps, medical kits, binoculars, etc. However, ' India seemed more worried about the embarrassment that would inevitably follow when Indian weapons were captured during the fighting and thus was hesitant in expediting the deployment of arms to the rebels. The Bengali rebels also questioned Indian supervision. India was unaware and unprepared of the Bangladeshi situation. In a Bangladeshi assessment of the war, a top Awami League leader, MR Chowdhury, lambasted the performance of the Indian army. Chowdhury argued that `` Never was such a heroic force neglected so much as the Mukti Fouz. The rebels got only ten rounds of ammunition a day, and this was far from adequate. Officers waited for days to get ammunition for a raid. Senior officers lacked weapons, and most of the rebels were short on rations, uniforms, Pakistani cash ( necessary for missions inside East Pakistan ), tents, soaps, and shoes. '' Mr Chowdhury further said : `` I have seen our ( Mukti Bahini ) sector commanders have to roam like beggars to procure medicine from various sources for their ailing men. We were assured that the ' Friends ' ( the Indian army ) promised to look after the basic necessities of our ( Bengali ) men, but the bare truth is that our men never get what they require. '' Air and Naval war The Indian Air Force carried out several sorties against Pakistan, and within a week, IAF aircraft dominated the skies of East Pakistan. It achieved near - total air supremacy by the end of the first week as the entire Pakistani air contingent in the east, PAF No. 14 Squadron, was grounded because of Indian and Bangladesh airstrikes at Tejgaon, Kurmitolla, Lal Munir Hat and Shamsher Nagar. Sea Hawks from the carrier INS Vikrant also struck Chittagong, Barisal and Cox 's Bazar, destroying the eastern wing of the Pakistan Navy and effectively blockading the East Pakistan ports, thereby cutting off any escape routes for the stranded Pakistani soldiers. The nascent Bangladesh Navy ( comprising officers and sailors who defected from the Pakistani Navy ) aided the Indians in the marine warfare, carrying out attacks, most notably Operation Jackpot. Surrender and aftermath Further information : Pakistani Instrument of Surrender See also : Delhi Agreement Signing of Pakistani Instrument of Surrender by Pakistan 's Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi in the presence of Indian military officers in Dhaka on 16 Dec ' 1971. On 16 December 1971, Lt. Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, CO of Pakistan Army forces located in East Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender. At the time of surrender only a few countries had provided diplomatic recognition to the new nation. Over 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered to the Indian forces & Bangladesh Liberation forces, making it the largest surrender since World War II, although the Pakistani Army had fought gallantly according to Indian Army Chief Sam Manekshaw. Bangladesh sought admission in the UN with most voting in its favour, but China vetoed this as Pakistan was its key ally. The United States, also a key ally of Pakistan, was one of the last nations to accord Bangladesh recognition. To ensure a smooth transition, in 1972 the Simla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan. The treaty ensured that Pakistan recognised the independence of Bangladesh in exchange for the return of the Pakistani PoWs. India treated all the PoWs in strict accordance with the Geneva Convention, rule 1925. It released more than 93,000 Pakistani PoWs in five months. Further, as a gesture of goodwill, nearly 200 soldiers who were sought for war crimes by Bengalis were also pardoned by India. The accord also gave back 13,000 km ( 5,019 sq mi ) of land that Indian troops had seized in West Pakistan during the war, though India retained a few strategic areas ; most notably Kargil ( which would in turn again be the focal point for a war between the two nations in 1999 ). This was done as a measure of promoting `` lasting peace '' and was acknowledged by many observers as a sign of maturity by India. However, some in India felt that the treaty had been too lenient to Bhutto, who had pleaded for leniency, arguing that the fragile democracy in Pakistan would crumble if the accord was perceived as being overly harsh by Pakistanis. Reaction in West Pakistan to the war Reaction to the defeat and dismemberment of half the nation was a shocking loss to top military and civilians alike. Few had expected that they would lose the formal war in under a fortnight, and there was also unsettlement over what was perceived as a meek surrender of the army in East Pakistan. Yahya Khan 's dictatorship collapsed and gave way to Bhutto, who took the opportunity to rise to power. General Niazi, who surrendered along with 93,000 troops, was viewed with suspicion and contempt upon his return to Pakistan. He was shunned and branded a traitor. The war also exposed the shortcomings of Pakistan 's declared strategic doctrine that the `` defence of East Pakistan lay in West Pakistan ''. Atrocities Main articles : 1971 Bangladesh genocide, 1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals, and Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War During the war there were widespread killings and other atrocities -- including the displacement of civilians in Bangladesh ( East Pakistan at the time ) and widespread violations of human rights began with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting Islamist militias from Jamaat e Islami killed an estimated 300,000 to 3,000,000 people and raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape. Some Islamic clerics issued fatwas in support of raping Bengali women, especially Hindu women, as they considered the conflict a holy war. During the war, a fatwa in Pakistan declared that the Bengali freedom fighters were Hindus and that their women could be taken as `` the booty of war ''. Rayerbazar killing field photographed immediately after the war, showing dead bodies of intellectuals ( image courtesy : Rashid Talukder, 1971 ) A large section of the intellectual community of Bangladesh were murdered, mostly by the Al - Shams and Al - Badr forces, at the instruction of the Pakistani Army. Just two days before the surrender, on 14 December 1971, Pakistan Army and Razakar militia ( local collaborators ) picked up at least 100 physicians, professors, writers and engineers in Dacca, and murdered them, leaving the dead bodies in a mass grave. Many mass graves have been discovered in Bangladesh. The first night of war on Bengalis, which is documented in telegrams from the American Consulate in Dacca to the United States State Department, saw indiscriminate killings of students of Dacca University and other civilians. Numerous women were tortured, raped and killed during the war ; the exact numbers are not known and are a subject of debate. The widespread rape of Bangladeshi women led to birth of thousands of war babies. The Pakistan Army also kept numerous Bengali women as sex - slaves inside the Dacca Cantonment. Most of the girls were captured from Dacca University and private homes. There was significant sectarian violence not only perpetrated and encouraged by the Pakistani army, but also by Bengali nationalists against non-Bengali minorities, especially Biharis. In June 1971, Bihari representatives stated that 500,000 Biharis were killed by Bengalis. R.J. Rummel gives a prudent estimate of 150,000 killed. On 16 December 2002, the George Washington University 's National Security Archive published a collection of declassified documents, consisting mostly of communications between US embassy officials and United States Information Service centres in Dacca and India, and officials in Washington, D.C. These documents show that US officials working in diplomatic institutions within Bangladesh used the terms `` selective genocide '' and `` genocide '' ( see The Blood Telegram ) for information on events they had knowledge of at the time. Genocide is the term that is still used to describe the event in almost every major publication and newspaper in Bangladesh, although in Pakistan, the accusations against Pakistani forces continue to be disputed. Foreign reaction French minister Andre Malraux vowed to fight alongside the Mukti Bahini in the Liberation War. Following Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 's declaration of independence in March 1971, a worldwide campaign was undertaken by the Provisional Government of Bangladesh to drum up political support for the independence of East Pakistan as well as humanitarian support for the Bengali people. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi provided extensive diplomatic and political support to the Bangladesh movement. She toured many countries in a bid to create awareness of the Pakistani atrocities against Bengalis. This effort was to prove vital later during the war, in framing the world 's context of the war and to justify military action by India. Also, following Pakistan 's defeat, it ensured prompt recognition of the newly independent state of Bangladesh. United Nations Though the United Nations condemned the human rights violations during and following Operation Searchlight, it failed to defuse the situation politically before the start of the war. Following India 's entry into the war, Pakistan, fearing certain defeat, made urgent appeals to the United Nations to intervene and force India to agree to a ceasefire. The UN Security Council assembled on 4 December 1971 to discuss the hostilities in South Asia. After lengthy discussions on 7 December, the United States made a resolution for `` immediate cease - fire and withdrawal of troops ''. While supported by the majority, the USSR vetoed the resolution twice. In light of the Pakistani atrocities against Bengalis, the United Kingdom and France abstained on the resolution. On 12 December, with Pakistan facing imminent defeat, the United States requested that the Security Council be reconvened. Pakistan 's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was rushed to New York City to make the case for a resolution on the cease fire. The council continued deliberations for four days. By the time proposals were finalised, Pakistan 's forces in the East had surrendered and the war had ended, making the measures merely academic. Bhutto, frustrated by the failure of the resolution and the inaction of the United Nations, ripped up his speech and left the council. Most UN member nations were quick to recognise Bangladesh within months of its independence. Bhutan As the Bangladesh Liberation War approached the defeat of the Pakistan Army, the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan became the first state in the world to recognise the newly independent country on 6 December 1971. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of Bangladesh visited Bhutan to attend the coronation of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth King of Bhutan in June 1974. US and USSR Senator Ted Kennedy led US congressional support for Bangladeshi independence The Nixon administration was widely criticised for its close ties with the military junta led by General Yahya Khan. American diplomats in East Pakistan expressed profound dissent in the Blood Telegram. The US government stood by its old ally Pakistan both politically and materially. US President Richard Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger feared Soviet expansion into South and Southeast Asia. Pakistan was a close ally of the People 's Republic of China, with whom Nixon had been negotiating a rapprochement and which he intended to visit in February 1972. Nixon feared that an Indian invasion of West Pakistan would mean total Soviet domination of the region, and that it would seriously undermine the global position of the United States and the regional position of America 's new tacit ally, China. To demonstrate to China the bona fides of the United States as an ally, and in direct violation of the US Congress - imposed sanctions on Pakistan, Nixon sent military supplies to Pakistan and routed them through Jordan and Iran, while also encouraging China to increase its arms supplies to Pakistan. The Nixon administration also ignored reports it received of the genocidal activities of the Pakistani Army in East Pakistan, most notably the Blood telegram. Nixon denied getting involved in the situation, saying that it was an internal matter of Pakistan, but when Pakistan 's defeat seemed certain, Nixon sent the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to the Bay of Bengal, a move deemed by the Indians as a nuclear threat. Enterprise arrived on station on 11 December 1971. On 6 and 13 December, the Soviet Navy dispatched two groups of ships, armed with nuclear missiles, from Vladivostok ; they trailed US Task Force 74 in the Indian Ocean from 18 December until 7 January 1972. The Soviet Union supported Bangladesh and Indian armies, as well as the Mukti Bahini during the war, recognising that the independence of Bangladesh would weaken the position of its rivals -- the United States and China. It gave assurances to India that if a confrontation with the United States or China developed, the USSR would take countermeasures. This was enshrined in the Indo - Soviet friendship treaty signed in August 1971. The Soviets also sent a nuclear submarine to ward off the threat posed by USS Enterprise in the Indian Ocean. At the end of the war, the Warsaw Pact countries were among the first to recognise Bangladesh. The Soviet Union accorded recognition to Bangladesh on 25 January 1972. The United States delayed recognition for some months, before according it on 8 April 1972. China As a long - standing ally of Pakistan, the People 's Republic of China reacted with alarm to the evolving situation in East Pakistan and the prospect of India invading West Pakistan and Pakistani - controlled Kashmir. Believing that just such an Indian attack was imminent, Nixon encouraged China to mobilise its armed forces along its border with India to discourage it. The Chinese did not, however, respond to this encouragement, because unlike the 1962 Sino - Indian War when India was caught entirely unaware, this time the Indian Army was prepared and had deployed eight mountain divisions to the Sino - Indian border to guard against such an eventuality. China instead threw its weight behind demands for an immediate ceasefire. When Bangladesh applied for membership to the United Nations in 1972, China vetoed their application because two United Nations resolutions regarding the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners of war and civilians had not yet been implemented. China was also among the last countries to recognise independent Bangladesh, refusing to do so until 31 August 1975. In popular culture Main article : Artistic depictions of the Bangladesh Liberation War See also Bangladesh Liberation War portal Bangladesh portal War portal Timeline of Bangladesh Liberation War Mukti Bahini Awards and decorations of the Bangladesh Liberation War Movement demanding trial of war criminals ( Bangladesh ) Liberation War Museum The Concert for Bangladesh Footnotes Notes Jump up ^ This war is known in Bangla as Muktijuddho or Shawdhinota Juddho. This war is also called the Civil War in Pakistan Citations Jump up ^ http://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/5312/Instrument+of+Surrender+of+Pakistan+forces+in+Dacca `` The Pakistan Eastern Command agree to surrender all Pakistan Armed Forces in Bangladesh to Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding - in -- chief of the Indian and Bangladesh forces in the eastern theatre. '' ^ Jump up to : `` India -- Pakistan War, 1971 ; Introduction By Tom Cooper, with Khan Syed Shaiz Ali ''. Acig.org. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Jump up ^ Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway By Owen Bennett - Jones, Lindsay Brown, John Mock, Sarina Singh, Pg 30 Jump up ^ p. 442 Indian Army after Independence by KC Pravel : Lancer 1987 ISBN 81 - 7062 - 014 - 7 Jump up ^ Thiranagama, edited by Sharika ; Kelly, Tobias ( 2012 ). Traitors : suspicion, intimacy, and the ethics of state - building. Philadelphia, Pa. : University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812222377. CS1 maint : Extra text : authors list ( link ) ^ Jump up to : `` Bangladesh Islamist leader Ghulam Azam charged ''. BBC. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012. ^ Jump up to : Figures from The Fall of Dacca by Jagjit Singh Aurora in The Illustrated Weekly of India dated 23 December 1973 quoted in Indian Army after Independence by KC Pravel : Lancer 1987 ISBN 81 - 7062 - 014 - 7 ^ Jump up to : Khan, Shahnawaz ( 19 January 2005 ). `` 54 Indian PoWs of 1971 war still in Pakistan ''. Daily Times. Lahore. Retrieved 11 October 2011. Jump up ^ Figure from Pakistani Prisoners of War in India by Col S.P. Salunke p. 10 quoted in Indian Army after Independence by KC Pravel : Lancer 1987 ( ISBN 81 - 7062 - 014 - 7 ) Jump up ^ Orton, Anna ( 2010 ). India 's Borderland Disputes : China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Epitome Books. p. 117. ISBN 9789380297156. Jump up ^ Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh, Page 289 Jump up ^ Moss, Peter ( 2005 ). Secondary Social Studies For Pakistan. Karachi : Oxford University Press. p. 93. ISBN 9780195977042. Retrieved 10 June 2013. Jump up ^ Schneider, B. ; Post, J. ; Kindt, M. ( 2009 - 07 - 20 ). The World 's Most Threatening Terrorist Networks and Criminal Gangs. Springer. p. 57. ISBN 9780230623293. Jump up ^ Kalia, Ravi ( 2012 - 08 - 21 ). Pakistan : From the Rhetoric of Democracy to the Rise of Militancy. Routledge. p. 168. ISBN 9781136516412. Jump up ^ Pg 600. Schmid, Alex, ed. ( 2011 ). The Routledge Handbook of Terrorism Research. Routledge. 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JSTOR 43106996. Jump up ^ `` Twentieth Century Atlas - Death Tolls ''. necrometrics.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 11. Jump up ^ Bergman, David ( 24 April 2014 ). `` Questioning an iconic number '' ( 1 ). The Hindu. The Hindu. Retrieved 28 September 2016. Jump up ^ Rummel, Rudolph. `` Chapter 8 : Statistics of Pakistan 's Democide Estimates, Calculations, And Sources ''. Statistics of Democide : Genocide and Mass Murder since 1900. p. 544. ISBN 978 - 3 - 8258 - 4010 - 5. ``... They also planned to indiscriminately murder hundreds of thousands of its Hindus and drive the rest into India... This despicable and cutthroat plan was outright genocide '. Jump up ^ Zunaid Kazi. `` History : The Bangali Genocide, 1971 ''. Virtual Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Jump up ^ Debasish Roy Chowdhury ( 23 June 2005 ). `` Indians are bastards anyway ''. Asia Times Online. Jump up ^ Malik, Amita ( 1972 ). The Year of the Vulture. New Delhi : Orient Longmans. pp. 79 -- 83. ISBN 0 - 8046 - 8817 - 6. ^ Jump up to : `` Bangladesh war : The article that changed history -- Asia ''. BBC. 16 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` The Hindu genocide that Hindus and the world forgot ''. India Tribune. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Encyclopædia Britannica -- Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Jump up ^ Afreen Mallick, Sadya. `` ' Potua ' and freedom 's colours ''. thedailystar.net. The Daily Star. Retrieved 12 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` arts.bdnews24.com '' সংযোজনস্বাধীনতার ঘোষণা : বেলাল মোহাম্মদের সাক্ষাৎকার ``. bdnews24.com. Jump up ^ Sen Gupta, Jyoti ( 1974 ). History of freedom movement in Bangladesh, 1943 - 1973 : some involvement. Calcutta : Naya Prokash. pp. 325 -- 326. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Jump up ^ Gupta, Jyoti Sen ( 1974 ). History of freedom movement in Bangladesh, 1943 - 1973 : some involvement. Naya Prokash. pp. 325 -- 326. Jump up ^ `` History : The Declaration of Independence ''. Virtual Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 2014 - 09 - 01. Jump up ^ M1 India, Pakistan, and the United States : Breaking with the Past By Shirin R. Tahir - Kheli ISBN 0 - 87609 - 199 - 0, 1997, Council on Foreign Relations. pp 37 Jump up ^ Pakistan Defence Journal, 1977, Vol 2, pp. 2 -- 3 Jump up ^ `` Bangladesh ''. State.gov. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Jump up ^ Jacob, Lt. Gen. JFR, Surrender at Dacca, pp 90 -- 91 Jump up ^ Jacob, Lt. Gen. JFR, Surrender at Dacca, pp 42 -- 44, pp 90 -- 91 Jump up ^ Hassan, Moyeedul, Muldhara ' 71, pp 45 -- 46 Jump up ^ Islam, Major Rafiqul, A Tale of Millions, pp. 227, 235 Jump up ^ Shafiullah, Maj. Gen. K.M., Bangladesh at War, pp 161 -- 163 Jump up ^ Islam, Major Rafiqul, A Tale of Millions, pp. 226 -- 231 Jump up ^ `` Bangladesh Liberation Armed Force ''. Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh. Jump up ^ Raja, Dewan Mohammad Tasawwar, O GENERAL MY GENERAL ( Life and Works of General M.A.G. Osmani ), pp. 35 -- 109, ISBN 978 - 984 - 8866 - 18 - 4 Jump up ^ Jacob, Lt. Gen. JFR, Surrender at Dacca, pp 44 Jump up ^ Hassan, Moyeedul, Muldhara 71, pp 44 Jump up ^ Ali, Maj. Gen. Rao Farman, How Pakistan Got Divided, pp 100 Jump up ^ Hassan, Moyeedul, Muldhara 71, pp 64 -- 65 Jump up ^ Khan, Maj. Gen. Fazal Mukeem, Pakistan 's Crisis in Leadership, p 125 Jump up ^ Ali, Rao Farman, When Pakistan Got Divided, p 100 Jump up ^ Niazi, Lt. Gen. A.A.K, The Betrayal of East Pakistan, p 96 Jump up ^ Roy, Mihir, K ( 1995 ). War in the Indian Ocean. 56, Gautaum Nagar, New - Delhi, 110049, India : Lancer Publisher & Distributor. p. 154. ISBN 978 - 1 - 897829 - 11 - 0. Jump up ^ Robi, Mir Mustak Ahmed ( 2008 ). Chetonai Ekattor. 38, Bangla Bazar ( 2nd Floor ), Dacca - 1100, Bangladesh : Zonaki Publisher. p. 69. ^ Jump up to : `` Indo - Pakistani Wars ''. MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009. Jump up ^ `` 1971 : Making Bangladesh a reality -- I ''. Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 21. ^ Jump up to : `` India and Pakistan : Over the Edge ''. Time. 13 December 1971. Retrieved 17 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Bangladesh : Out of War, a Nation Is Born ''. Time. 20 December 1971. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Jump up ^ Indian Army after Independence by Maj KC Praval 1993 Lancer, p. 317 ISBN 1 - 897829 - 45 - 0 Jump up ^ Bass, Gary J. `` The Mukti Bahini ''. Page 183. The Blood Telegram. by Random House Publishers IndiaPrivate Limited. Gurgaon, Haryana. 12 September 2014. 544 pages. Print. Jump up ^ Islam, Rafiqul. A Tale of Millions. Page 94 Published by Anwarul Haque, Adeylebros& Co, 60 Patuatuly, Dacca - 1 and printed at Abco Press 6 - 7 Aulad Hossain Lane, Dacca - 1. Jump up ^ Bass, Gary J. `` The Mukti Bahini ''. Page 179. The Blood Telegram. by Random House Publishers IndiaPrivate Limited. Gurgaon, Haryana. 12 September 2014. 544 pages. Print. Jump up ^ Bass, Gary J. `` The Mukti Bahini ''. Page 179. The Blood Telegram. by Random House Publishers IndiaPrivate Limited. Gurgaon, Haryana. 12 September 2014. 544 pages. Print. Jump up ^ Bass, Gary J. `` The Mukti Bahini ''. Page 180. The Blood Telegram. by Random House Publishers IndiaPrivate Limited. Gurgaon, Haryana. 12 September 2014. 544 pages. Print. Jump up ^ Bass, Gary J. `` The Mukti Bahini ''. Pages 176 - 185. The Blood Telegram. by Random House Publishers IndiaPrivate Limited. Gurgaon, Haryana. 12 September 2014. 544 pages. Print. Jump up ^ Islam, Rafiqul. A Tale of Millions. Page 109. Published by Anwarul Haque, Adeylebros& Co, 60 Patuatuly, Dacca - 1 and printed at Abco Press 6 - 7 Aulad Hossain Lane, Dacca - 1. Jump up ^ Bass, Gary J. `` The Mukti Bahini ''. The Blood Telegram. Pages 182 - 186. by Random House Publishers IndiaPrivate Limited. Gurgaon, Haryana. 12 September 2014. 544 pages. Print. Jump up ^ `` Naval Commandos in Operation Jackpot ''. The Daily Star. Jump up ^ `` The 1971 war ''. BBC News. Retrieved 11 October 2011. Jump up ^ Ahmad Faruqui ( 2003 ). Rethinking the National Security of Pakistan : The Price of Strategic Myopia. Ashgate. p. 55. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7546 - 1497 - 5. Field Marshal Manekshaw, Chief of Staff of the Indian Army in 1971, paid them the ultimate compliment when he stated that : The Pakistan Army in East Pakistan fought very gallantly. But they had no chance. They were a thousand miles away from their base. And I had eight or nine months to make my preparations ( while they were being worn out in a counter insurgency war against the secessionist forces of the Mukti Bahini ). I had a superiority of almost five - to - one. Jump up ^ `` Situation in the Indian Subcontinent ''. mofa.go.jp. Jump up ^ Guess who 's coming to dinner Naeem Bangali Jump up ^ `` Bangladesh : Unfinished Justice for the crimes of 1971 -- South Asia Citizens Web ''. Sacw.net. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Jump up ^ `` The Simla Agreement 1972 -- Story of Pakistan ''. Story of Pakistan. 1 June 2003. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Jump up ^ `` India 's Strategic Blunders in the 1971 War ''. www.rediff.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Defencejournal ''. Defencejournal. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` General Niazi 's Failure in High Command ''. Ghazali.net. 21 August 2000. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Jump up ^ Sharlach 2000, pp. 92 -- 93. Jump up ^ Sajjad 2012, p. 225. Jump up ^ White, Matthew, Death Tolls for the Major Wars and Atrocities of the Twentieth Century Jump up ^ `` The scars of war, victory and justice ''. The Opinion Pages. 2012 - 12 - 16. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 11. Jump up ^ Siddiqi, Dina M. ( 1998 ). `` Taslima Nasreen and Others : The Contest over Gender in Bangladesh ''. In Bodman, Herbert L. ; Tohidi, Nayereh Esfahlani. Women in Muslim Societies : Diversity Within Unity. Lynne Rienner. pp. 208 -- 209. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55587 - 578 - 7. Sometime during the war, a fatwa originating in West Pakistan labeled Bengali freedom fighters ' Hindus ' and declared that ' the wealth and women ' to be secured by warfare with them could be treated as the booty of war. ( Footnote, on p. 225 : ) S.A. Hossain, `` Fatwa in Islam : Bangladesh Perspective, '' Daily Star ( Dhaka ), 28 December 1994, 7. Jump up ^ Many of the eyewitness accounts of relations that were picked up by `` Al Badr '' forces describe them as Bengali men. The only survivor of the Rayerbazar killings describes the captors and killers of Bengali professionals as fellow Bengalis. See 57 Dilawar Hossain, account reproduced in Ekattorer Ghatok - dalalera ke Kothay ( Muktijuddha Chetona Bikash Kendro, Dacca, 1989 ) Jump up ^ `` The Daily Star Web Edition ( Vol. 5 Num 551 ) ''. archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 11. Jump up ^ Times, Special To The New York ( 1971 - 12 - 19 ). `` 125 Slain in Dacca Area Believed Elite of Bengal ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 11. At least 125 persons, believed to be physicians, professors, writers and teachers, were found murdered today in a field outside Dacca. All the victims ' hands were tied behind their backs and they had been bayoneted, garroted or shot. They were among an estimated 300 Bengali intellectuals who had been seized by West Pakistani soldiers and locally recruited supporters. Jump up ^ `` tribuneindia... World ''. www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 11. ^ Jump up to : Evans, Michael. `` The Tilt : The U.S. and the South Asian Crisis of 1971 ''. nsarchive.gwu.edu. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Bengali Wives Raped in War Are Said to Face Ostracism '' ( PDF ). The New York Times. 8 January 1972. Retrieved 10 November 2011. Jump up ^ Menen, Aubrey ( 23 July 1972 ). `` The Rapes of Bangladesh '' ( PDF ). The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2011. Jump up ^ Astrachan, Anthony ( 22 March 1972 ). `` U.N. Asked to Aid Bengali Abortions '' ( PDF ). The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` East Pakistan : Even the Skies Weep ''. Time. 25 October 1971. p. 43. ( Subscription required ( help ) ). Refugees are still trekking into India... telling of villages burned, residents shot, and prominent figures carried off and never heard from again. One of the more horrible revelations concerns 563 young Bengali women, some only 18, who have been held captive inside Dacca 's dingy military cantonment since the first days of the fighting. Seized from Dacca University and private homes and forced into military brothels, the girls are all three to five months pregnant. The army is reported to have enlisted Bengali gynecologists to abort girls held at military installations. But for those at the Dacca cantonment it is too late for abortion. Jump up ^ U.S. Consulate ( Dacca ) Cable, Sitrep : Army Terror Campaign Continues in Dacca ; Evidence Military Faces Some Difficulties Elsewhere, 31 March 1971, Confidential, 3 pp Jump up ^ Sen, Sumit ( 1999 ). `` Stateless Refugees and the Right to Return : the Bihari Refugees of South Asia, Part 1 '' ( PDF ). International Journal of Refugee Law. 11 ( 4 ) : 625 -- 645. doi : 10.1093 / ijrl / 11.4. 625. Retrieved 20 October 2006. Jump up ^ Gerlach, Christian ( 2010 ). Extremely Violent Societies : Mass Violence in the Twentieth - Century World. Cambridge University Press. p. 148. ISBN 9781139493512. Jump up ^ Rummel, R.J. ( 1997 ). Death by Government. Transaction Publishers. p. 334. ISBN 9781560009276. Jump up ^ U.S. Consulate in Dacca ( 27 March 1971 ), Selective genocide, Cable ( PDF ) Jump up ^ `` The Jamaat Talks Back ''. The Bangladesh Observer ( Editorial ). 30 December 2005. Archived from the original on 23 January 2007. Jump up ^ `` : : : Star Weekend Magazine : : : ''. archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Bernard - Henri Levy : Andre Malraux 's Bangladesh, Before the Radicals ''. The Daily Beast. Jump up ^ `` The Independent - Online Edition ''. The Independent Online and Print Version. ^ Jump up to : `` The Recognition Story ''. Bangladesh Strategic and Development Forum. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011. ^ Jump up to : Bhutto, Zulfiqar Ali. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto 's farewell speech to the United Nations Security Council. Jump up ^ `` Bhutan recognised Bangladesh first - Dhaka Tribune ''. dhakatribune.com. Jump up ^ Harris, Ralph ( 17 December 1971 ). `` Nixon and Pakistan : An Unpopular Alliance ''. The Miami News. Miami, Florida, US. Reuters -- via The Daily Star. Jump up ^ Shalom, Stephen R., The Men Behind Yahya in the Indo - Pak War of 1971 Jump up ^ `` The triumvirate of the Diplomat, the Journalist and the Artist ''. The Daily Star. 2016 - 12 - 17. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 11. Jump up ^ Scott, Paul ( 21 December 1971 ). `` Naval ' Show of Force ' By Nixon Meant as Blunt Warning to India ''. Bangor Daily News. Google News. Jump up ^ Anna Orton ( 2010 ). India 's Borderland Disputes : China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Epitome Books. p. 116. ISBN 978 - 93 - 80297 - 15 - 6. Jump up ^ Matthew White ( 20 October 2011 ). Atrocitology : Humanity 's 100 Deadliest Achievements. Canongate Books. p. 45. ISBN 978 - 0 - 85786 - 125 - 2. Jump up ^ Dexter Filkins ( 27 September 2013 ). `` Collateral Damage : ' The Blood Telegram, ' by Gary J. Bass ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` That same fleet but new face ''. The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 11. Jump up ^ `` December 1971 : When The US Sent Its Naval Ships Into Bay Of Bengal, And USSR Responded ''. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 11. Jump up ^ `` USSR, Czechoslovakia Recognize Bangladesh ''. Sumter, South Carolina, US : The Sumter Daily Item, via Google News. Associated Press. 25 January 1972. Jump up ^ `` Nixon Hopes for Subcontinent Peace ''. Spartanburg, South Carolina, US : Herald - Journal, via Google News. Associated Press. 9 April 1972. ^ Jump up to : `` China Recognizes Bangladesh ''. Oxnard, California, US : The Press Courier, via Google News. Associated Press. 1 September 1975. Jump up ^ `` China Veto Downs Bangladesh UN Entry ''. Montreal, Quebec, Canada : The Montreal Gazette, via Google News. United Press International. 26 August 1972. References This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies website http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/. Further reading See also : List of books on Liberation War of Bangladesh Ayoob, Mohammed and Subrahmanyam, K., The Liberation War, S. Chand and Co. pvt Ltd. New Delhi, 1972. Ayub, Muhammad ( 2005 ). An Army, its Role and Rule : A History of the Pakistan Army from Independence to Kargil 1947 -- 1999. Pittsburgh : RoseDog Books. ISBN 0 - 8059 - 9594 - 3. Bass, Gary J. The Blood Telegram : Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. Vintage, 2014. ISBN 0307744620 Bhargava, G.S., Crush India or Pakistan 's Death Wish, ISSD, New Delhi, 1972. Bhattacharyya, S.K., Genocide in East Pakistan / Bangladesh : A Horror Story, A. Ghosh Publishers, 1988. Brownmiller, Susan : Against Our Will : Men, Women, and Rape, Ballantine Books, 1993. Choudhury, G.W. ( April 1972 ). `` Bangladesh : Why It Happened ''. International Affairs. Royal Institute of International Affairs. 48 ( 2 ) : 242 -- 249. doi : 10.2307 / 2613440. ISSN 0020 - 5850. JSTOR 2613440. Choudhury, G.W. ( 1994 ) ( First published 1974 ). The Last Days of United Pakistan. Dhaka : University Press. ISBN 978 - 984 - 05 - 1242 - 3. Govt. of Bangladesh, Documents of the war of Independence, Vol 01 - 16, Ministry of Information. Hitchens, Christopher, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, Verso ( 2001 ). ISBN 1 - 85984 - 631 - 9 Kanjilal, Kalidas, The Perishing Humanity, Sahitya Loke, Calcutta, 1976 Johnson, Rob, ' A Region in Turmoil ' ( New York and London, 2005 ) Malik, Amita, The Year of the Vulture, Orient Longmans, New Delhi, 1972. Matinuddin, General Kamal, Tragedy of Errors : East Pakistan Crisis, 1968 -- 1971, Wajidalis, Lahore, Pakistan, 1994. Mookherjee, Nayanika, A Lot of History : Sexual Violence, Public Memories and the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, D. Phil thesis in Social Anthropology, SOAS, University of London, 2002. National Security Archive, The Tilt : the U.S. and the South Asian Crisis of 1971 Quereshi, Major General Hakeem Arshad, The 1971 Indo - Pak War, A Soldiers Narrative, Oxford University Press, 2002. Raghavan, Srinath, 1971 : A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh, Harvard Univ. Press, 2013. Rummel, R.J., Death By Government, Transaction Publishers, 1997. Salik, Siddiq, Witness to Surrender, Oxford University Press, Karachi, Pakistan, 1977. Sisson, Richard & Rose, Leo, War and secession : Pakistan, India, and the creation of Bangladesh, University of California Press ( Berkeley ), 1990. Stephen, Pierre, and Payne, Robert, Massacre, Macmillan, New York, ( 1973 ). ISBN 0 - 02 - 595240 - 4 Totten, Samuel et al., eds., Century of Genocide : Eyewitness Accounts and Critical Views, Garland Reference Library, 1997 US Department of State Office of the Historian, Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969 -- 1976, Volume XI, South Asia Crisis, 1971 Zaheer, Hasan : The separation of East Pakistan : The rise and realisation of Bengali Muslim nationalism, Oxford University Press, 1994. Raja, Dewan Mohammad Tasawwar ( 2010 ). O GENERAL MY GENERAL ( Life and Works of General M.A.G. Osmani ). The Osmani Memorial Trust, Dacca, Bangladesh. ISBN 978 - 984 - 8866 - 18 - 4. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bangladesh Liberation War. Rare video documentary on YouTube Dateline Bangladesh : Documentary by Gita Mehta on YouTube The Liberation war of Bangladesh 1971 Bangladesh Genocide Archive Freedom In the Air Video, audio footage, news reports, pictures and resources from Mukto - mona Eyewitness Accounts : Genocide in Bangladesh The women of 1971. Tales of abuse and rape by the Pakistan Army 1971 Massacre in Bangladesh and the Fallacy in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report, Dr. M.A. Hasan Women of Pakistan Apologize for War Crimes, 1996 Study finds no cases of rape by Pakistan Army in 1971 Sheikh Mujib wanted a confederation : US papers, by Anwar Iqbal, Dawn, 7 July 2005 Page containing copies of the surrender documents Bangladesh Liberation War Picture Gallery Rashid Askari : Liberation War facts 1971 War : How Russia sank Nixon 's gunboat diplomacy PM reiterated her vow to declare March 25 as Genocide Day Call for international recognition and observance of genocide day Genocide Day : As it was in March 1971 The case for UN recognition of Bangladesh genocide Bangladesh war : The article that changed history By Mark Dummett Bangladesh Liberation War Ministry of Liberation War Affairs Origins of the Bengali Revolution Philosophy Bengali renaissance Muslim nationalism in South Asia Two - nation theory Bengali nationalism Bengal Studies Bangamata Joy Bangla Pakistan Movement Partition of Bengal in 1905 Eastern Bengal and Assam All - India Muslim League Indian independence movement Pakistan Movement Lahore Resolution United Bengal Muslim National Guard Direct Action Day Noakhali riots Partition of India Partition of Bengal in 1947 East Pakistan Dominion of Pakistan East Bengal Pakistan Muslim League Objectives Resolution All Pakistan Awami Muslim League Awami League United Front Bengali Language Movement Communist Party of Pakistan East Faction One Unit East Pakistan Republicanism in Pakistan Martial law in 1958 Federalism in Pakistan Bengali self - determination Swadhin Bangal Biplobi Parishad Six point movement Agartala Conspiracy Case 1969 uprising in East Pakistan 1970 Bhola cyclone Pakistani general election, 1970 Declaration of war Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 's speech of 7 March Rodionov message Ahsan - Yaqub Mission Operation Searchlight Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence Combatants Campaigns Theaters Battles Events Massacres Combatants Bangladesh Provisional Government of Bangladesh Mukti Bahini Hemayet Bahini Bangladesh Army K Force S Force Z Force Bangladesh Navy Bangladesh Air Force Bangladesh Rifles Bangladesh Ansar Bangladesh Police Special Guerrilla Forces Gono Bahini Mujib Bahini Kader Bahini Afsar Bahini Crack Platoon Pakistan Pakistan Armed Forces Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines Jamaat - e-Islami Central Peace Committee Razakars Al - Badr Al - Shams Indian allies Parliament of India Indian Armed Forces Mitro Bahini ( Indo - Bangla forces ) Campaigns and theaters Eastern Command ( Pakistan ) Operation Searchlight Operation Barisal Cable 1971 Sectors in Bangladesh Liberation War Military plans of the Bangladesh Liberation War Eastern Command ( India ) Bangladesh War timeline Meghna Heli Bridge Operation Jackpot Operation Python Operation Trident Pakistan Armed Forces order of battle, December 1971 Mitro Bahini Order of Battle December 1971 Sinking of PNS Ghazi Air Operations Operation Chengiz Khan Operation Cactus - Lilly Major battles Battle of Daruin Battle of Rangamati - Mahalchari waterway Battle of Goalhati Battle of Dhalai Outpost Battle of Dhalai Battle of Ajmiriganj Battle of Garibpur Battle of Hilli Battle of Longewala Battle of Basantar Battle of Kushtia Battle of Boyra Battle of Atgram Other events Blood Telegram 1971 Bangladesh genocide 1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War Refugees in India Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra Shadhin Bangla Football Team The Concert for Bangladesh Album Film List of Massacres 1971 Dhaka University massacre Shankharipara massacre Shankharibazar massacre Ramna massacre Sutrapur massacre Jinjira massacre Akhira massacre Jathibhanga massacre Demra massacre Chuknagar massacre Madhyapara massacre Bakhrabad massacre Burunga massacre more Related conflicts Indo - Pakistani War of 1971 Indo - Pakistani Naval War of 1971 Leaders Bangladesh Military Mohammad Atul Osmani Ziaur Rahman Khaled Mosharraf K.M. Shafiullah Shafaat Jamil A.K. Khandker Muhammad Hamidullah Matiur Rahman Civilian Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Syed Nazrul Islam Tajuddin Ahmad AHM Qamaruzzaman Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Dhirendranath Datta Quazi Nuruzzaman Chitta Ranjan Dutta Muhammad Mansur Ali Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad M.A. Hannan Abu Sayeed Chowdhury Pakistan Military Yahya Khan S.M. Ahsan A.A.K. Niazi Yaqub Ali Khan Mohammad Shariff Rao Farman Ali A.O. Mitha Khadim Hussain Mitty Masud Ahmad Zamir Inamul Haque Siddique Salik K.M. Arif Civilian Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Dr. Abdul Motaleb Malik Nurul Amin Shah Azizur Rahman Ghulam Azam Motiur Rahman Nizami J.A. Rahim Tridev Roy India Military Indian Army Sam Manekshaw Jagjit S. Aurora Hari Chand Dewan Nilakanta Krishnan J.F.R. Jacob Om Prakash Malhotra Sagat Singh Inderjit S. Gill Shabeg Singh Sankaran Nair Hoshiar Singh Civilian Indira Gandhi V.V. Giri Gopal Swarup Pathak Rameshwar Kao Swaran Singh Jagjivan Ram Dilip Mahalanabis Aftermath Instrument of Surrender International recognition of Bangladesh Simla Agreement Delhi Agreement Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh War Enquiry Commission War Report 1971 Prisoners of War Investigation Bangladesh -- India relations Indira - Mujib Treaty 2001 Indo - Bangla skirmishes Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict Bangladesh -- Pakistan relations 2013 Pakistan Embassy siege 2015 Expulsion of Pakistani diplomats from Dhaka Related topics Categories Commemoration Monuments and memorials National Martyrs ' Memorial Martyred Intellectuals Memorial Swadhinata Stambha Liberation War Memorial Trust Liberation War Museum Bangladesh Police Liberation War Museum Aparajeyo Bangla Shabash Bangladesh Anniversaries Bengali Genocide Remembrance Day Independence Day ( Bangladesh ) Armed Forces Day ( Bangladesh ) Martyred Intellectuals Day Victory day of Bangladesh Vijay Diwas ( India ) Decorations and depictions Muktijuddho e-Archive Artistic depictions Awards and decorations Trials 2013 Shahbag protests Movement demanding trial of war criminals ( Bangladesh ) International Crimes Tribunal ( Bangladesh ) War Crimes Fact Finding Committee Categories Liberation War Genocide Aftermath Films Causes and prelude Battles Peoples Military personnel Bangladesh Liberation War Portal Bangladesh -- Pakistan relations History Pakistan Movement East Pakistan East - Pakistan Legislative Assembly 1954 Legislative elections East - Pakistan in Indo - Pakistani War of 1965 East Pakistan Central Peace Committee East Pakistan Renaissance Society East - Pakistan Army Communism in East - Pakistan Events and conflicts 1971 Bangladesh genocide Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War Jamaat - e-Islami Bangladesh Razakars Al - Badr Al - Shams Bangladesh Liberation War Indo - Pakistani War of 1971 Persecution of Biharis in Bangladesh 1995 Bengalis expulsion 2013 siege of the Pakistani embassy in Dhaka Social links Bengalis in Pakistan Bihari Muslims Stranded Pakistanis Chittagong Colony Bangladeshi cricket tours of Pakistan ‎ Pakistani cricket tours of Bangladesh Diplomatic High Commissioners of Bangladesh High Commissioners of Pakistan High Commission of Bangladesh in Pakistan High Commission of Pakistan in Bangladesh Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh, Karachi Category Military of Bangladesh Bangladesh Army Bangladesh Navy Bangladesh Air Force Organization Armed Forces Division Bangladesh Forces Ministry of Defence Directorate General of Forces Intelligence Inter-Service Public Relations Army formations Military installations East Bengal Regiment Senior Tigers Bangladesh Infantry Regiment UN Peacekeeping Force Armed Forces Day Leadership Commander - in - chief : President of Bangladesh Chief of Air Staff Chief of Army Staff Chief of Naval Staff Principal Staff Officer Serving Generals History and wars Military history Bengal Army Bengal Regiment Bangladesh Liberation War Gulf War Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict 2001 Indo - Bangla Border Skirmish War leaders Maulana Bhashani Tajuddin Ahmed Ziaur Rahman M. 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Osmani M.A. Jalil Abul Manzoor Shafaat Jamil Abu Osman Chowdhury Quazi Nuruzzaman Abu Taher Decorations Bir Shreshtho Bir Uttom Bir Bikrom Bir Protik Order of Military Merit Personnel and equipment Ranks Air Force Army Navy Training ARTDOC National Defence College Defence Services Command and Staff College BUP BAIUST BAUET BAUST BIPSOT Military Academy Air Force Academy Naval Academy AFMC AFMI MIST National Cadet Corps Cadet Colleges Equipment Army equipment Active Military aircraft Historic Military aircraft Navy ships active historic Special ops President Guard Regiment SSF Para-Commandos SWADS Counter Terrorism and Intelligence Bureau Military of India Indian Army Indian Navy Indian Air Force Leadership Chief of the Army Staff Chief of the Naval Staff Chief of the Air Staff Topics History Academies Ranks and insignia Army Air Force Navy Special Forces Indian Peace Keeping Force Central Armed Police Forces Paramilitary forces Andaman and Nicobar Command Strategic Forces Command Nuclear Command Authority Ballistic missiles Weapons of mass destruction Defence Research and Development Organisation Ordnance Factories Board Territorial Army National Cadet Corps Wars and conflicts Indo - 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Pakistan War ( s ) of 1947 - 1948 / 1965 / 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War 1967 Israeli - Arab war 1973 Israeli - Arab war Jordan - Palestine Liberation Organization conflict 1970s Baloch insurgency Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia seizure Soviet - Afghan war Siachen conflict 1991 Gulf War Kargil conflict War in North - West Pakistan Related Awards and decorations Defence Housing Authority Defence industry of Pakistan Air Weapons Complex Defence Science and Technology Organisation Heavy Industries Taxila Institute of Optronics Integrated Dynamics Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Khan Research Laboratories National Development Complex National Engineering and Scientific Commission Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Pakistan Ordnance Factories Wah Metallurgical Laboratory Military history Air Force history Foreign deployments of the Pakistan Armed Forces Involvement in UN peacekeeping missions Military coups Khyber Border Coordination Center Women in the Pakistan Armed Forces Category Army Air Force Navy Portal Cold War USA USSR ANZUS NATO Non-Aligned Movement SEATO Warsaw Pact 1940s Morgenthau Plan Hukbalahap Rebellion Dekemvriana Percentages Agreement Yalta Conference Guerrilla war in the Baltic states Forest Brothers Operation Priboi Operation Jungle Occupation of the Baltic states Cursed soldiers Operation Unthinkable Potsdam Conference Gouzenko Affair Division of Korea Operation Masterdom Operation Beleaguer Operation Blacklist Forty Iran crisis of 1946 Greek Civil War Baruch Plan Corfu Channel incident Turkish Straits crisis Restatement of Policy on Germany First Indochina War Truman Doctrine Asian Relations Conference May 1947 Crises Marshall Plan 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état Tito -- Stalin Split Berlin Blockade Western betrayal Iron Curtain Eastern Bloc Western Bloc Chinese Civil War ( Second round ) Malayan Emergency Albanian Subversion 1950s Bamboo Curtain Korean War McCarthyism 1953 Iranian coup d'état Uprising of 1953 in East Germany Dirty War ( Mexico ) Bricker Amendment 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état Partition of Vietnam First Taiwan Strait Crisis Geneva Summit ( 1955 ) Bandung Conference Poznań 1956 protests Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Suez Crisis `` We will bury you '' Operation Gladio Arab Cold War Syrian Crisis of 1957 1958 Lebanon crisis Iraqi 14 July Revolution Sputnik crisis Second Taiwan Strait Crisis Cuban Revolution Kitchen Debate Sino - 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Question: who was heading indian army during bangladesh libration war 1971
Answer: Sam Manekshaw