Bagbati massacre

2022-05-27T12:49:02Z

2601:155:4281:B250:B51C:AE51:E411:463C:

{{Short description|1971 mass killing of Bengali civilians by Pakistani soldiers and militias}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Bagbati massacre <br/>বাগবাটি গণহত্যা
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| map = {{Location map|Bangladesh|lat=24.54|long=89.62|caption=}}
| map_caption =
| location = Bagbati, Pabna,East Pakistan
| target = [[Bengalis|Bengali]]s
| coordinates =
| date = 27 May 1971
| time =
| timezone = UTC+6:00
| type = [[Massacre]]
| fatalities = More than 200
| injuries =
| perps = [[Al-Badr|Al Badr]], [[Razakars (Bangladesh)|Razakars]], [[East Pakistan Central Peace Committee|Peace Committee]], [[Pakistan Army]]
| weapons = Rifles
| numparts =
}}

'''Bagbati massacre''' ({{lang-bn|বাগবাটি গণহত্যা}}) refers to the killings of more than 200 unarmed [[Bengalis|Bengali]] by the [[Al Badar]], [[Pakistan Army]], [[Razakar (Pakistan)|Razakars]] and [[East Pakistan Central Peace Committee|Peace Committee]], in the Bagbati Union of [[Sirajganj District|Sirajganj]] sub-division in the erstwhile district of [[Pabna District|greater Pabna]] in May 1971.<ref name="gob">{{cite web|url=http://www.sirajganj.gov.bd/node/12809|script-title=bn:১৯৭১ গণহত্যায় শহীদ মুক্তিযুদ্ধাদের তালিকা|work=সিরাজগঞ্জ জেলা|publisher=Government of Bangladesh|language=Bengali|access-date=9 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924102641/http://www.sirajganj.gov.bd/node/12809|archive-date=24 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the massacre the bodies were buried or dumped in wells.
{{Violence against Hindus in East Pakistan and Bangladesh}}

== Background ==
Bagbati Union was situated 14 km to the north west of Sirajganj sub-divisional headquarters. It is now under Sirajganj Sadar Upazila of [[Sirajganj District]]. When the Pakistan Army launched the Operation Searchlight and occupied Sirajganj, hundreds of Bengali from Sirajganj and the surrounding areas took refuge in the villages of Bagbati, Harinagopal, Pipulberia and Dhaldob under Bagbati Union. A day before the massacre, a meeting was held at Ghorachara School between the Razakars and the Peace Committee.<ref name="ittefaq01122013">{{cite news|url=http://www.ittefaq.com.bd/index.php?ref=MjBfMTJfMDFfMTJfMV8xMl8xXzU2NA==|script-title=bn:গৌরবময় মুক্তিযুদ্ধ|last=Liton|first=Fazl-e-Khoda|date=1 December 2012|work=The Daily Ittefaq|location=Dhaka|language=Bengali|access-date=9 November 2022}}</ref> At the meeting it was decided that more than 500 people of Bagbati, Haringopal and Alokdia would be eliminated.<ref name="ittefaq01122013"/>

== Killings ==
On the early morning of 27 May, in a joint operation the Pakistani army, [[Al-Badr (East Pakistan)|Al Badr]], [[Razakars (Bangladesh)|Razakars]] and the [[East Pakistan Central Peace Committee|Peace Committee]], surrounded the villages. The [[Al-Badr|Al Badrs]] opened fire indiscriminately and killed more than two hundred people, mostly Bengali Hindus.<ref name="gob"/> Numerous residences were looted on set on fire by the [[Al-Badr|Al Badr]], [[Razakars (Bangladesh)|Razakars]] and the [[East Pakistan Central Peace Committee|Peace Committee]].<ref name="gob"/> The [[Pakistan Army]] raped the womenfolk.<ref name="gob"/> Days after the massacre, the survivors dumped the dead bodies in the wells of the deserted houses of the erstwhile landlords of Bagbati and Dhaldob.<ref name="gob"/>

== Commemoration ==
The victims of the massacre are remembered through memorial services every year.<ref name="hot">{{cite news|url=http://hotnews24bd.com/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%9E%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%A4/ |script-title=bn:সিরাজগঞ্জের বাগবাটি গনহত্যা দিবস |work=hotnewsbd24.com |language=Bengali |access-date=10 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104020555/http://hotnews24bd.com/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%9E%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%A4/ |archive-date=4 November 2022}}</ref> A few years back a small memorial was constructed in one of the wells where the victims bodies were dumped, in a joint initiative between the Bagbati Union Parishad and the locals.<ref name="hot"/> The locals have demanded the restoration of the mass killing site and the mass graves.<ref name="djk26052013">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyjugerkatha.com/%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%9C-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A3%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B8/|script-title=bn:আজ বাগবাটি গণহত্যা দিবস|last=Sanchay|first=Sajirul Islam|date=26 May 2013|work=Daily Juger Katha|language=Bengali|access-date=10 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125241/http://www.dailyjugerkatha.com/%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%9C-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A3%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B8/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Demra massacre]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{1971 Bangladesh genocide|state=expanded}}

{{Coord|24.54|N|89.62|E|region:BD_type:event|display=title}}

[[Category:Massacres of Bengali Hindus in East Pakistan]]
[[Category:1971 in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:1971 Bangladesh genocide]]
[[Category:Massacres in 1971]]
[[Category:1971 in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Massacres committed by Pakistan in East Pakistan]]
[[Category:May 1971 events in Bangladesh]]

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Bagbati massacre