Operation Searchlight was a planned genocide carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971. This was seen as the sequel to Operation Blitz that was launched in November 1970. The killings which began on March 25, 1971 and ended on 16th of December, 1971 led to death of 3 Million Bangladeshis as well as other atrocities like rape (there is no reliable estimate of how many women and children were raped but some parties put it to around 200,000) and looting. It was part of the genocide of 1971 to snuff out any Bengali opposition to the military dictatorship in Pakistan. After the defeat of the Pakistan Army, there was a call to try nearly 200 POWs for war crimes, but none of the soldiers or officers involved were tried for war crimes.

See also

• Bangladesh Liberation War

অপারেশন সার্চলাইট

History of Pakistan | History of Bangladesh | Bangladesh Liberation War