Question: what was the cause of the bangladesh liberation war

title: Bangladesh Liberation War
text: 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 .