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{{Short description|Massacre in 1971 | {{Short description|Massacre in 1971}} | ||
{{Infobox civilian attack | {{Infobox civilian attack | ||
| title | | title = Golahat massacre<br/>গোলাহাট গণহত্যা | ||
| image | | partof = [[Bangladesh genocide]] | ||
| alt | | image = | ||
| caption | | alt = | ||
| map | | caption = | ||
| map_caption = | | map = {{Location map|Bangladesh|lat=25.80|long=88.88|caption=}} | ||
| location | | map_caption = | ||
| target | | location = [[Golahat]], [[Nilphamari]], [[Bangladesh]] | ||
| target = Marwari Hindus | |||
| coordinates = {{coord|25|48|21|N|88|52|58|E|region:BD_type:event|display=inline,title}} | | coordinates = {{coord|25|48|21|N|88|52|58|E|region:BD_type:event|display=inline,title}} | ||
| date | | date = 13 June 1971 | ||
| time | | time = 10 a.m. | ||
| timezone | | timezone = UTC+6:00 | ||
| type | | type = [[Mass murder]], [[Massacre]] | ||
| fatalities | | fatalities = 437 | ||
| injuries | | injuries = | ||
| perps | | perps = [[Bihari Muslims]], [[Pakistani Army]] | ||
| weapons | | weapons = ''[[Ram-dao]]''s, [[Bayonet]]s | ||
| numparts | | numparts = | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''Golahat massacre''' ({{ | The '''Golahat massacre''' ({{langx|bn|গোলাহাট গণহত্যা}}) was a massacre of 437 emigrating Hindu merchants and businessmen of [[Marwaris|Marwari]] ethnicity in [[Saidpur, Bangladesh|Saidpur]], East Pakistan on June 13, 1971.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dutta |first=Pradip Kumar |title=The Golahat massacre of Marwaris |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/longform/313360/the-golahat-massacre-of-marwaris |work=[[Dhaka Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Roy |first1=Pinaki |last2=Asaduzzaman |first2=E. A. M. |date=16 December 2020 |title=A train to massacre |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/train-massacre-2011965 |access-date=17 June 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref><ref name="islam">{{cite news |last=Islam |first=Mamun |date=December 5, 2011 |script-title=bn:গোলাহাটের নৃশংসতম গণহত্যা : যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের আশায় ৪৩৭ শহীদের স্বজনরা |trans-title=Golahat genocide: the hope that the war crimes trial of 437 relatives of martyrs |url=http://www.bssnews.net/bangla/newsDetails.php?cat=4&id=106935&date=2011-12-05 |newspaper=[[Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha]] |access-date=February 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915114909/http://www.bssnews.net/bangla/newsDetails.php?cat=4&id=106935&date=2011-12-05 |archive-date=September 15, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="alam">{{cite news |last=Alam |first=M. R. |date=June 15, 2010 |script-title=bn:অপারেশন খরচাখাতা |trans-title=Operation Kharacakhata |url=http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2010-06-15/news/71002 |newspaper=[[Prothom Alo]] |access-date=February 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618133522/http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2010-06-15/news/71002 |archive-date=June 18, 2010}}</ref> | ||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
Saidpur is a railway town and a commercial hub situated in the [[Nilphamari District]] of [[Rangpur Division|Rangpur division]] of [[Bangladesh]]. It is situated near Parbatipur, which was an important rail junction in undivided India, connecting the [[Northeast India|North East]] to the rest of the country. The [[Marwaris]], attracted by the prospect of trade and commerce had settled in the town of Saidpur, long before the [[Partition of India]]. The Marwaris became a part of the local population and contributed to the society. In 1911, Tulsiram Agarwal had founded the Tulsiram Girls High School. Some of them had earned a respected position in the society because of their social work.<ref name="alam"/ | Saidpur is a railway town and a commercial hub situated in the [[Nilphamari District]] of [[Rangpur Division|Rangpur division]] of [[Bangladesh]]. It is situated near Parbatipur, which was an important rail junction in undivided India, connecting the [[Northeast India|North East]] to the rest of the country. The [[Marwaris]], attracted by the prospect of trade and commerce had settled in the town of Saidpur, long before the [[Partition of India]]. The Marwaris became a part of the local population and contributed to the society. In 1911, Tulsiram Agarwal had founded the Tulsiram Girls High School. Some of them had earned a respected position in the society because of their social work.<ref name="alam"/> | ||
After the [[Partition of India]], the Marwaris chose to stay back in [[East Pakistan]] rather than migrating to [[India]]. Thousands of Urdu-speaking Muslims from [[Bihar]] and the [[United Provinces (1937-1950)|United Provinces]] settled in [[Saidpur, Rajshahi Division|Saidpur]].<ref name="lutu">{{cite news |last=Lutu |first=Tofazzal Hossain |script-title=bn:অবহেলায় হারিয়ে যাচ্ছে সৈয়দপুরের গোলাহাট বধ্যভূমির স্মৃতিচিহ্ন |url=http://www.karatoa.com.bd/details.php?pub_no=594&menu_id=3&val=71027 |access-date=February 4, 2012 |newspaper=Dainik Karatoa}}</ref> In 1971, the Urdu-speaking Muslims constituted 75% of the population of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://saidpurbd.com/ |title=Welcome to Saidpur |publisher= |access-date=February 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128084211/http://www.saidpurbd.com/ |archive-date=January 28, 2012}}</ref> | |||
During the [[Bangladesh War of Independence]],<ref name="lutu"/> On 12 April, the Pakistan army killed prominent Marwari citizens Tulsiram Agarwal, Yamuna Prasad Kedia and Rameshwar Lal Agarwal at Nisbetganj. The killings created a panic in the Marwari community.<ref name="alam"/> | |||
== Events == | == Events == | ||
On 1 June, the | On 1 June, the Pakistan army took 185 Marwari men and transported them to Saidpur cantonment. Major Gul of the Pakistan army employed them in renovation of the Saidpur airbase and digging trenches for military purposes. A few days later, Major Gul stated that he would send them to India through the border outpost at Haldibari. Meanwhile, on 5 June, the Pakistan army announced that the Hindus of Saidpur would be provided a safe passage to India through the Chilahati border into the [[Jalpaiguri district]] of [[West Bengal]].<ref name="alam"/> | ||
On the morning of 13 June, at about 6 a.m., the 185 prisoners were brought to the Saidpur railway station in four military trucks. | On the morning of 13 June, at about 6 a.m., the 185 prisoners were brought to the Saidpur railway station in four military trucks. They were assured a safe passage to India and asked to bring their family and relatives. They rushed to their houses in the joy of freedom and soon returned with their families. The Pakistani soldiers and the Bihari Muslims segregated the crowd into men and women. A special train had arrived at the Saidpur railway station at 8 a.m. They were boarded into separate compartments, two each for the men and the women. The doors and the windows were locked from inside. While boarding, no less 20 married and unmarried women were detained by the Pakistani soldiers and later taken to the Saidpur cantonment.<ref name="alam"/> | ||
At about 10 a.m. the special train commenced its journey towards India. Soon after the journey had commenced, the train abruptly came to a halt over a railway culvert in Golahat, a locality in the outskirts of the Saidpur town, two kilometres of the Saidpur railway station. The doors of the compartments were opened and Bihari Muslims, armed with shining ''ramdao''s entered the compartments. The entire area was surrounded by the Pakistani military, armed with automatic weapons. The Bihari Muslims abused the Hindus, calling them ''[[malaun]]'' and stated that their lives were not even worthy of a bullet.<ref name="alam"/> The men, women and children were dragged out one by one. The Pakistani | At about 10 a.m. the special train commenced its journey towards India. Soon after the journey had commenced, the train abruptly came to a halt over a railway culvert in Golahat, a locality in the outskirts of the Saidpur town, two kilometres of the Saidpur railway station. The doors of the compartments were opened and Bihari Muslims, armed with shining [[Ram-dao|''ramdao''s]] entered the compartments. The entire area was surrounded by the Pakistani military, armed with automatic weapons. The Bihari Muslims abused the Hindus, calling them ''[[malaun]]'' and stated that their lives were not even worthy of a bullet.<ref name="alam"/> The men, women and children were dragged out one by one. The Pakistani army and their collaborators bayoneted and butchered them to death. The children who were crying out of fear were either smashed on the railway tracks or flung into the air and then caught with [[bayonet]]s.<ref name="islam"/> | ||
There is some confusion regarding the number of people killed in the Golahat massacre. According to the ''Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha'' and ''Prothom Alo'' 437 Hindus were killed in the massacre.<ref name="islam"/><ref name="alam"/> However, Sarmila Bose mentioned a figure of 338, quoting from an account of Dwarka Prasad Singhania, Marwari businessman of Saidpur.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bose |first=Sarmila |author-link=Sarmila Bose | There is some confusion regarding the number of people killed in the Golahat massacre. According to the ''Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha'' and ''Prothom Alo'', 437 Hindus were killed in the massacre.<ref name="islam"/><ref name="alam"/> However, Sarmila Bose mentioned a figure of 338, quoting from an account of Dwarka Prasad Singhania, Marwari businessman of Saidpur.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bose |first=Sarmila |author-link=Sarmila Bose |title=Dead Reckoning: Memories of 1971 Bangladesh War |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-231-70164-8 |pages=137–139 |quote=A published account by a Marwari businessman of Saidpur, Dwarka Prasad Singhania ... [alleges] that on 13 June 1971, 338 Marwari men, women and children were massacred in a train at Golahat rail factory.}}</ref> Only ten from those who boarded the train could escape. They ran towards Dinajpur and finally took shelter in India. | ||
== Memorial == | == Memorial == | ||
| Line 46: | Line 48: | ||
{{1971 Bangladesh genocide|state=expanded}} | {{1971 Bangladesh genocide|state=expanded}} | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Bangladesh genocide]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Sword attacks in Asia]] | ||
[[Category:June 1971 | [[Category:Mass shootings in Bangladesh]] | ||
[[Category:Mass stabbings in Bangladesh]] | |||
[[Category:June 1971 in Bangladesh]] | |||
[[Category:Massacres committed by Pakistan in East Pakistan]] | [[Category:Massacres committed by Pakistan in East Pakistan]] | ||
[[Category:Massacres in 1971]] | [[Category:Massacres in 1971]] | ||
[[Category:Massacres of Bengali Hindus in East Pakistan]] | [[Category:Massacres of Bengali Hindus in East Pakistan]] | ||
[[Category:Persecution of Hindus by Muslims]] | |||
[[Category:Stabbing attacks in 1971]] | |||
[[Category:Perfidy incidents]] | |||
[[Category:Railway accidents and incidents in Bangladesh]] | |||
[[Category:Nilphamari District]] | |||
Latest revision as of 21:25, 11 January 2026
| Golahat massacre গোলাহাট গণহত্যা | |
|---|---|
| Part of Bangladesh genocide | |
  | |
| Location | Golahat, Nilphamari, Bangladesh |
| Coordinates | 25°48′21″N 88°52′58″E / 25.80583°N 88.88278°E |
| Date | 13 June 1971 10 a.m. (UTC+6:00) |
| Target | Marwari Hindus |
Attack type | Mass murder, Massacre |
| Weapons | Ram-daos, Bayonets |
| Deaths | 437 |
| Perpetrators | Bihari Muslims, Pakistani Army |
The Golahat massacre (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) was a massacre of 437 emigrating Hindu merchants and businessmen of Marwari ethnicity in Saidpur, East Pakistan on June 13, 1971.[1][2][3][4]
Background[edit | edit source]
Saidpur is a railway town and a commercial hub situated in the Nilphamari District of Rangpur division of Bangladesh. It is situated near Parbatipur, which was an important rail junction in undivided India, connecting the North East to the rest of the country. The Marwaris, attracted by the prospect of trade and commerce had settled in the town of Saidpur, long before the Partition of India. The Marwaris became a part of the local population and contributed to the society. In 1911, Tulsiram Agarwal had founded the Tulsiram Girls High School. Some of them had earned a respected position in the society because of their social work.[4]
After the Partition of India, the Marwaris chose to stay back in East Pakistan rather than migrating to India. Thousands of Urdu-speaking Muslims from Bihar and the United Provinces settled in Saidpur.[5] In 1971, the Urdu-speaking Muslims constituted 75% of the population of the city.[6]
During the Bangladesh War of Independence,[5] On 12 April, the Pakistan army killed prominent Marwari citizens Tulsiram Agarwal, Yamuna Prasad Kedia and Rameshwar Lal Agarwal at Nisbetganj. The killings created a panic in the Marwari community.[4]
Events[edit | edit source]
On 1 June, the Pakistan army took 185 Marwari men and transported them to Saidpur cantonment. Major Gul of the Pakistan army employed them in renovation of the Saidpur airbase and digging trenches for military purposes. A few days later, Major Gul stated that he would send them to India through the border outpost at Haldibari. Meanwhile, on 5 June, the Pakistan army announced that the Hindus of Saidpur would be provided a safe passage to India through the Chilahati border into the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.[4]
On the morning of 13 June, at about 6 a.m., the 185 prisoners were brought to the Saidpur railway station in four military trucks. They were assured a safe passage to India and asked to bring their family and relatives. They rushed to their houses in the joy of freedom and soon returned with their families. The Pakistani soldiers and the Bihari Muslims segregated the crowd into men and women. A special train had arrived at the Saidpur railway station at 8 a.m. They were boarded into separate compartments, two each for the men and the women. The doors and the windows were locked from inside. While boarding, no less 20 married and unmarried women were detained by the Pakistani soldiers and later taken to the Saidpur cantonment.[4]
At about 10 a.m. the special train commenced its journey towards India. Soon after the journey had commenced, the train abruptly came to a halt over a railway culvert in Golahat, a locality in the outskirts of the Saidpur town, two kilometres of the Saidpur railway station. The doors of the compartments were opened and Bihari Muslims, armed with shining ramdaos entered the compartments. The entire area was surrounded by the Pakistani military, armed with automatic weapons. The Bihari Muslims abused the Hindus, calling them malaun and stated that their lives were not even worthy of a bullet.[4] The men, women and children were dragged out one by one. The Pakistani army and their collaborators bayoneted and butchered them to death. The children who were crying out of fear were either smashed on the railway tracks or flung into the air and then caught with bayonets.[3]
There is some confusion regarding the number of people killed in the Golahat massacre. According to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and Prothom Alo, 437 Hindus were killed in the massacre.[3][4] However, Sarmila Bose mentioned a figure of 338, quoting from an account of Dwarka Prasad Singhania, Marwari businessman of Saidpur.[7] Only ten from those who boarded the train could escape. They ran towards Dinajpur and finally took shelter in India.
Memorial[edit | edit source]
In 2010, Prajanma 71 and Saidpur Smaranika Parishad commemorated the martyrdom of the victims through puja and anjali at the mass killing site at Golahat.[4] No memorial has been erected even after 40 years of the Liberation War.[5] The relics of the massacre are being lost. Local land sharks have encroached upon the site of mass killing and started cultivation.[5] Sumit Agarwala, the president of Saidpur Smaranika Parishad demanded a national memorial at the mass killing site.[4]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Dutta, Pradip Kumar. "The Golahat massacre of Marwaris". Dhaka Tribune.
- ↑ Roy, Pinaki; Asaduzzaman, E. A. M. (16 December 2020). "A train to massacre". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Islam, Mamun (December 5, 2011). গোলাহাটের নৃশংসতম গণহত্যা : যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের আশায় ৪৩৭ শহীদের স্বজনরা [Golahat genocide: the hope that the war crimes trial of 437 relatives of martyrs]. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Alam, M. R. (June 15, 2010). অপারেশন খরচাখাতা [Operation Kharacakhata]. Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lutu, Tofazzal Hossain. অবহেলায় হারিয়ে যাচ্ছে সৈয়দপুরের গোলাহাট বধ্যভূমির স্মৃতিচিহ্ন. Dainik Karatoa. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Welcome to Saidpur". Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ↑ Bose, Sarmila (2010). Dead Reckoning: Memories of 1971 Bangladesh War. Columbia University Press. pp. 137–139. ISBN 978-0-231-70164-8.
A published account by a Marwari businessman of Saidpur, Dwarka Prasad Singhania ... [alleges] that on 13 June 1971, 338 Marwari men, women and children were massacred in a train at Golahat rail factory.