New Delhi
India on Friday strongly supported Bangladesh’s quest for justice for atrocities committed by the Pakistani army, including the killing of millions of Bangladeshis and mass sexual violence against women, during the country’s liberation war in 1971, in the face of Islamabad’s non-committal response to Dhaka’s recent spotlight on these crimes.
The Ministry of External Affairs set out India’s position on the issue three days after Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman described Operation Searchlight – the Pakistani army’s brutal crackdown on the nationalist movement in erstwhile East Pakistan – as “one of the most horrific genocides in history”.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal referred to the “horrible atrocities” committed by Pakistan during Operation Searchlight while supporting Bangladesh’s desire for justice. He said in a weekly press conference, “The genocide included the systematic and targeted killing of millions of innocent Bangladeshis and mass sexual violence against women. It also forced millions of Bangladeshis to leave their country – they came to India as refugees.”
“Needless to say, these atrocities have shocked the conscience of the entire world. However, Pakistan continues to deny its crimes to this day. We support Bangladesh in its desire for justice,” Jaiswal said.
As Bangladesh observed Genocide Day on March 25 to honor those killed in 1971, Rahman issued a message in which he said the genocide committed on that day was a “pre-planned massacre.” March 25, 1971, “remains one of the most shameful and brutal days” as Pakistani occupation forces opened indiscriminate fire on teachers, intellectuals and civilians at various places, including Dhaka University and Rajarbagh Police Lines.
Rahman said that the resistance against the genocide carried out by the 8th East Bengal Regiment in Chattogram on the night of March 25, 1971, led to the nine-month liberation war.
Bangladesh has long sought an apology from Pakistan for killings and sexual violence committed by Pakistani forces in 1971, although Islamabad has routinely rejected such requests.
When Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman was asked about Rahman’s message, he replied that Islamabad considered the events of 1971 to be “complex and open to different interpretations.” The speaker also called for constructive engagement based on objectivity, mutual respect and a shared commitment to historical accuracy and made no mention of an apology.
India’s victory over Pakistan, along with the surrender of more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers, on December 16, 1971, led to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent country.
Jaiswal responded to another question about Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s criticism of Pakistani Shiites sympathetic to Iran by saying that Islamabad has a “bad record” in protecting the rights of minorities in the country.
Senior leaders of the Shiite community in Pakistan criticized Munir for saying during a meeting with Shiite clerics that those sympathizing with Iran amid the conflict in West Asia should “go to Iran.”
Jaiswal said that the Indian side had seen reports on this issue. “Such comments are not isolated incidents, but are part of Pakistan’s systematic victimization of minorities, including the Shiite minority in that country,” he said.
“The shrinking numbers of minorities in Pakistan reflects the decades of fear, marginalization, oppression and neglect they have had to endure at the hands of the Pakistani state. Pakistan’s poor record when it comes to protecting the human rights of minorities is also well documented,” he added.
Jaiswal declined to comment when asked about External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks in which he described Pakistan as a “pampering nation” at an all-political party meeting convened by the government this week to discuss the conflict in West Asia. He said that the meeting, which included all parties, was a “closed meeting.”
“With regard to Pakistan’s long-term approach to global conflicts and tensions, you may be interested in listening to the criticisms of Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Member of the National Assembly Bilawal Bhutto, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan,” Jaiswal said.
Khan had said in 2018 that Pakistan was being treated “like a hired gun” to fight other people’s wars, while Asif told Sky News in 2025 that the country had been doing the “dirty work” that the US and UK have been doing for decades.
